


Into the Mariverse

by TheWritingDork, what_in_the



Series: Into The Mariverse - Our Love Letter(s) to Be More Chill [5]
Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Brainwashing, But they'll all have nicknames so don't worry. FYI., Gun Mention/Use, Implied Violence, Implied/Referenced Abusive Relationship, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Interdimensional Travel (Alternative Universes), Loss of Autonomy, M/M, Magic, Mind Control, There'll be lots of characters that are the same 'person'., This fic connects to other fics we have written but you don't need to read them to enjoy this, into the spiderverse!au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-15 00:41:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 79,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29180433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWritingDork/pseuds/TheWritingDork, https://archiveofourown.org/users/what_in_the/pseuds/what_in_the
Summary: Okay, so it didn't take long for Michael to realize that the SQUIP was a terrible investment of Jeremy's money. It made him a jerk, got rid of his comfortable clothes, and made him too cool for video games. What he didn't realize was that one act of taking the SQUIP would bring both himself and Jeremy into a conspiracy much bigger than themselves.In fact, it was bigger than just their own universe. Trippy, yes, Michael was more than aware.Armed with limited knowledge and resources but backed up by an army of new, somehow familiar friends, Michael will need to step up to save not just Jeremy, not just the world, but every universe in existence.No pressure or anything for a high school junior who just for his license over the summer.
Relationships: Jenna Rolan/Madeline (implied), Jeremy Heere & Jeremy Heere, Jeremy Heere & Michael Mell, Jeremy Heere/Michael Mell, Michael Mell & Jenna Rolan
Series: Into The Mariverse - Our Love Letter(s) to Be More Chill [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2142264
Comments: 29
Kudos: 23





	1. The Biggest Party of the Fall: Almost a Total Flop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, Ari (TheWritingDork) here! Bet you guys were wondering if we were dead or not.  
> Nope, we aren't. We have one huge work to give you in terms of content, meaning, and our own emotional investment. I have a lot to say but ironically can't find the words to say it. So, I'll let my writing partner take it over for me. He's summed everything that I want to say up quite nicely.
> 
> Hey Lovelies! Mara here, aka what_in_the! This project has been in the works for a long time. Not necessarily actually in production but in the works. And by that I mean from about August 2019. We always planned for this to be our love letter to the fandom, our final hurrah for the people who have boosted us up and brought us together over the years, and finally, here it is.  
> First thing to note is this: this story references our other fics heavily. You do not need to have read them to understand or enjoy, but it helps. There are also a bunch of fics which we initially planned but never got around to writing fully. They're sitting in our discord, fleshed out but never typed up.  
> Maybe we'll share them one day.  
> I'd also like to note that we have a new, shared tumblr now! It's the best place to find out about our newest projects and stories, so be sure to check us out there if you like our work! Here's a link for you who are interested: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/mariwritingoffical  
> Finally, I'd like to say the biggest thank you to you guys reading this. The people who read our fics, first timers or who have been here from 'Always and Forever' are the reason we've done this for so long. You're the ones who initially brought us together and who made each and every fic worth writing. Without the support you gave us, I never would have met my best friend.  
> Enough rambling from me. I really hope you enjoy the fic.

Michael shifted how he sat in the tub but nope, he wasn’t any more comfortable than he had been a minute ago or five minutes ago or... How long had he been sitting in this tub for? And why did he have to choose a trash monster again?

As he thought over his actions that brought him to sit in one of the tubs in Jake Dillinger’s huge house, Michael couldn’t help but feel sad, though beers probably didn’t help with him feeling this way either. Jeremy has gotten a Squip, and he didn’t know just how dangerous it was. He was popular, dating Brooke Lohst—she really seemed quite sweet—and he was suddenly one of the most popular kids at Middlesbrough. That meant he’d be at this rager. Every popular kid or anyone with a good social standing would be here to upkeep their reputation. 

That meant Jeremy had to be here. Right. Still, why the trash monster costume?

Michael’s brooding was interrupted by a quick flurry of knocks at the door.

“Excuse me?” That sounded like a very impatient Jenna Rolan. “Some of us have to pee!” Oh god, Michael couldn’t get caught here. He wasn’t invited and if Jenna found out, everyone would know soon enough.

After clearing his throat, Michael tried to get up and out of the tub. Damn, why was it so slippery? “Uh, I’m on my—“ 

Michael yelped as he was halfway out of the tub, slipping and losing his grip thanks to his purely decorative gloves. He slid off the railing on the side of the tub, hitting the tiled floor with a resounding ‘thud,’ “Shit,” he hissed through his teeth as he tried to get his bearings.

“Oh my god! Are you okay?” The door handle jiggled and opened as soon as Jenna must have realized that it wasn’t locked. She looked down at him, her head almost comically small compared to the massive clown costume she had on. “Do you need some help? Did you get hurt?”

Michael quickly waved one hand as he tried to get up with the other, but he almost slipped again. “I’m fine, I’m fine,” he promised as he rubbed his face. “Thank you though.”

Wait, his face? Shit-

“Michael Mell? You weren’t invited to this party.” Despite his previous protests, Jenna still bent down and helped him stand up. She was surprisingly strong.

He shifted and thanked Jenna as he ended up back on his feet. Stupid rich people tubs. “Yeah, and probably neither were half the people who showed up.”

Jenna nodded with a shrug. “Yeah, that’s fair.” She paused, as if considering something. Then she nodded again. “He’s not here, by the way.”

Wait, what? Michael was sure he was staring at Jenna in disbelief. “He isn’t? I thought I heard him tell Jake he was coming.”

“Last minute change of plans,” Jenna said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out her phone. She tapped away at it as she spoke. “He went out on a date with Brooke instead. Chloe is fuming. They’re on the other side of town about now.” She turned the phone to show her Instagram, complete with a picture of Jeremy and Brooke posing for a selfie together. Yup. That was at least an hour away from here, and it was posted maybe twenty minutes ago.

Michael glanced around and had to keep himself from grumbling. He had shown Jeremy the spot, where they secretly gave out full-sized bars. Well, Ina had been told about it by a coworker who lived on the street, but still. He invited Jeremy to go there. “Well great.”

Jenna looked him over before sitting on the edge of the bathtub. “You look like hell, by the way. Is that why you’re hiding in here instead of being out there? Y’know, actually at the party?”

Well, he could tell her the truth or he could say something that seems close enough to it. Michael hesitated as he looked at Jenna. She was the gossip of the school... but she also always made sure he was okay at school if he got shoved around by Rich or some other jerk or messed with in any way. Well, if Jeremy wasn’t around.

Michael quieted his thoughts as best he could before sitting down next to her, on the floor. He couldn’t trust that tub again. “I was hoping Jeremy’d come in. He gets overwhelmed by this stuff and I thought I’d talk to him, but I guess not.”

Jenna hummed in understanding. “Yeah, that’s totally a good plan, honey. If he were at the party, this would totally be his port of call at some point.” She looked him over, as if sizing him up. “You seem like you could use someone to talk to. Move your butt out of here, I actually do have to pee. But then... if you wanna talk, meet me by the keg in five.”

As he shifted to slowly get up, Michael looked back at Jenna while grabbing his mask. “Why do you wanna talk?”

“I mean, might as well.” She shrugged, wobbling to her feet. “All the best gossip is already ruined because Jeremy, Brooke, and Rich didn’t turn up. Three out of five of the popular kids are missing, so basically everyone else is small fry and barely worth talking about. No offence. And, in this case, it’s probably a good thing.” Michael could tell she wasn’t telling him everything, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

“Alright.” He have her a polite wave before quickly getting out for Jenna. Unfortunately, it meant he had to go back into the fray that was this rager.

Michael was glad the mask he put on muffled part of the noise. It was still more than overwhelming, and he quickly tried to move through everything to get to the keg. As he went, he saw Jake Dillinger and Christine dressed like a prince and a princess. Huh, he swore he heard Jake tell Jeremy he was going as *the* Prince. They did look cute and happy.

He shook his head and barely avoided a grumpy and clearly drunk Chloe Valentine as he passed by her to get to the keg. He grabbed a cup and filled it up with some punch for himself. Yeah, it was definitely some fruit punch with a lot of alcohol. Stronger than the beers he had earlier for sure

In all honesty, though, he didn’t care. A dark sort of numbness was settling into his system, which he knew meant that he would be having a breakdown soon enough. It would be easier and less painful emotionally if he were drunk.

He took a mouthful of the punch before refilling his cup. As he glanced up, he caught sight of Jenna on the stairs. She was looking at him, her expression somewhat mystified as she walked over. “You... actually waited?” she asked, sounding surprised and almost... fragile. Huh.

He nodded as he finished up his cup, putting it to the side in his line of sight as he focused on filling up a cup for Jenna. “Yeah? You told me to?”

Jenna made a small sound that Michael couldn’t place, then she seemingly composed herself and nodded towards a door. “Let’s sit outside. It’ll be quieter, since no one will be out there for at least another couple of hours.”

He didn’t question why as he nodded and picked his cup back up. Michael followed her outside, the crisp, fresh air helping him just a smidge as it hit him.

The yard was empty, just a patch of grass with very little on it. Jenna didn’t seem phased by that, though, as she sat down a little way away from the house. Somehow, despite only being a few feet away, the music was muffled and almost inaudible. It was peaceful out here. 

“So, Mell, talk to me.” Jenna took a small sip of her drink. “What’s got you so worked up?”

Michael settled down beside her, thinking. Did he risk telling her everything and getting brushed off? No, that didn’t seem like Jenna. When he glanced at her, she was intently looking at him. 

He quickly looked back down at the red solo cup in his hands. “It’s a lot, and I’m gonna sound bonkers.”

“I’ve got time,” Jenna challenged. “Like I said, anyone who would create the good gossip isn’t here.”

After taking a sip from his cup, the flood gates opened. Michael told Jenna everything, from when Jeremy signed up for the play because of Christine to when Jeremy blew him off at school to what he found out from his WOW friend about the Squips. By the time he was done, Michael realized he had finished his cup of punch and was a wet-faced mess. He sniffled a few times and scrubbed his face as he said, “And I thought he’d- he’d be here so I could tell him ‘bout the guy, and then- and then I’d help him see he needs it out.”

Jenna was quiet for a moment. Then she sighed heavily. “You were right, that does sound crazy.” Of course. Why did Michael ever think this was a good idea? Of course Jenna wouldn’t— “But I also don’t think you’re lying. Too many things line up.”

He looked up at her as he finished pushing his glasses up to his head. Oh, okay, she was a bit blurry now. “Wait, you actually believe me?”

“Yeah, I do.” Jenna might have nodded, but he couldn’t really tell. The colors of her clown costume were blurring together a little and making it hard to focus. “Jeremy changed a lot, seemingly overnight. No one can do that without help. I thought he might have like a wire with someone telling him what to do, but a SQUIP makes just as much sense. It also explains Rich’s transformation too, after freshman year.”

Michael wanted to think about how this went so much deeper than he thought, but his brain only stuck to one thing: Jenna believed him. He scrubbed his face even harder as he felt more tears (and maybe a little snot, ew) start to flow. “Yeah. Yeah! Oh my god, you actually believe me. Thank god.” Jenna was a miracle.

“Yeah, I do.” Jenna made a face and offered him a tissue from another pocket. Wow, the costume was actually functional. “Here you go, honey. Clean yourself up.”

He took the tissue when it was pressed into his hand. “Thanks.” Michael wiped his tears before his nose, balling up the tissue after. “Why’d you have tissues?”

“Because it’s cold and everyone ends up sniffling when they come outside.” She carefully pressed another tissue into his hand.

“Very smart ‘nd considerate,” he murmured as he blew his nose and wiped it up.

Jenna made another small sound, much like she had when he had waited for her by the keg, then seemed to shake it off. “Thanks.” She paused, as if considering her next words carefully. “And... thanks for trusting me with this. I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”

Michael nodded as he put the tissues down on the grass beside himself. “I doubt you’d tell anyone anyway. It sounds like crazy talk,” he admitted as he ran his fingers through the damp blades of grass. “Plus, y’ve helped me out before.”

Jenna hummed. “Yeah, well... They shouldn’t have pushed you around anyway.” She sounded somewhat uncomfortable. “And they shouldn’t have ignored you. Especially when you needed help.”

That got a bitter laugh from Michael. He tugged and pulled up some of the grass. “But I’m the antisocial headphones kid to ‘em. Why would they wanna care about me? I’m the kid who’s only cool in college.”

“That doesn’t mean you should be ignored or shoved about,” Jenna protested. “And besides, I’d say you’re pretty cool.”

Michael snorted but looked at the blurry bob that was Jenna. “Thanks. You’re cool too.”

“Thanks.” Jenna sighed. “So, you wanna head off? Since, y’know, Jeremy isn’t gonna be... coming around.”

Oh, right. Michael nodded and went to get his keys. “Can you drive? I dunno ‘f I’m good enough to right now.” At least his sense of judgement wasn’t out of wack.

“You trust me to drive your car?” Jenna sounded somewhat mystified. “I mean, I’m sober, but still.” She gestured to her cup of punch, which had barely been touched.

Michael nodded as he managed to get his keys out of his costume pocket and offered them to Jenna. “Yeah. I’m not fit to drive,” he pointed out as he gestured to his empty cup.

“I... Thanks. I know how much you love your car.” She stood up, offering her hand to Michael. “I mean, totally understandable. It’s an awesome car.”

He took his hand, and he thanked her as he stood up. Yeah, he couldn’t have gotten up on his own. 

Wait. “You think my car’s awesome?” Granted, Michael adored his car but everyone else thought PT Cruiser were loser cars.

“Yeah!” Jenna nodded excitedly. “It’s a classic. And the color is cute too.” Even Jeremy wasn’t a fan of the vivid purple, so that was saying something.

Michael couldn’t help but smile as he thanked her. “It was Mama’s car before she gave it to me. She loves vintage cars, and I loved my Cruiser growin’ up.”

Jenna grinned, and Michael wasn’t sure he’d ever seen her smile like that before. It changed her whole vibe, honestly. She went from being someone intimidating (like most people) to someone he actually wanted to know. To someone he maybe wanted to be friends with. “It shows. Your car looks better cared for than most.” Michael noted that she hadn’t let go of his hand. He wasn’t going to point it out.

“Thanks. I always take an hour out on the weekend to make sure it’s clean and smells nice,” Michael explained as he walked with her to the fence gate. Woah, there was a fence gate?

“Starting to feel the drinks, Michael?” Jenna asked, sounding somewhat amused.

He looked at her, confused as to how she could tell. “Yeah. How’d you know?”

“Your expression is getting a bit giddy.” Jenna giggled. “I can already tell you’re not much of a drinker. C’mon, I’ll get you home safe.” She tugged hun slightly closer and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, helping to steady him.

Michael couldn’t help but smile as he moved to wrap an arm around her shoulders as well in a possible hug. “Thanks, Jenna. You’re really sweet.”

Jenna’s eyes got a bit wider as they walked. “Thank you, Michael, but I think you’re drunk.”

He frowned as he squeezed her shoulder. “That doesn’t mean that I don’t think y’re nice, ‘cause you are.” Did she think he didn’t really believe it because he was drunk?

“You... actually mean it?” she asked softly. The music from the party wasn’t loud enough to obscure it anymore since they were far enough away from the party. Why did she sound so fragile?

Michael nodded as he looked right at her, right in the eyes. “Of course I do. You’ve helped me out before tonight ‘nd you’re helping me out right now. It means a lot,” he truthfully told her. “Thank you. I appreciate it and you.”

Jenna blinked in surprise, then looked away. “Thank you.” She was still sounding small and fragile. “I... don’t think anyone’s ever called me sweet before.”

“But you’re being sweet and are?” Were people really that rude?

“I mean, most people don’t really pay attention to me unless I’m giving them gossip or something.” Jenna shrugged. They reached Michael’s cruiser, parked off to the side away from the rest of the cars, and Jenna helped Michael lean against it while she opened it up. “Careful, Michael, you’re getting unsteady.”

Michael nodded as he tried to keep himself steady against the car, using a hand to keep himself up. “Thanks. Also, that’s rude. You’re more than someone to go to for gossip. You’re so nice,” Michael insisted as he watched her unlock the car and open the door for him. See, she was being so sweet to him!

“Well, so are you, Michael,” Jenna gently replied. “You’re more than just that guy who will be cool in college. You’re a very sweet and caring person too.” She paused and looked him over. “Do you need some help getting in?”

Oh, yeah, getting in would be a good thing. “Uh... probably.”

Jenna chuckled fondly (or at least, Michael thought it might be fond) and gently guided him into his seat. She even did his belt for him! “There you go, honey. Now, do you have any bottles of water in here?”

Michael looked around his car. “Uh, I don’t know. I don’t see my bottle in here,” he murmured as he felt around in the normal places it would be. Nope, wasn’t there.

“That’s okay. We’ll just get you something to drink when we get you home.” Jenna ruffled Michael’s hair affectionately before closing the door and going around to the driver’s seat. As she did, Michael contemplated how weird it was to be the passenger this time. He never sat in this seat. It almost felt wrong.

He was also close to the dashboard. Yeah, Jeremy liked the more confined space. Michael needed the leg room though.

He tried to feel for the little lever his car had for adjustments. When he found the bar for it, he pushed it down and shot back a bit. Michael was stunned for a moment before he relaxed. Ah, much better.

Jenna laughed at that, except it wasn’t a mean laugh. It was the sort of laugh Michael was used to hearing from Jeremy, just finding Michael funny instead of actually laughing at him. Wait, when had she gotten in?

“You doing alright there, Michael?” Jenna asked when she calmed her giggles.

Michael nodded as he pulled off his costume gloves and tossed them onto the floor of the car. “Yeah. Now I’m not all squished up.”

“Good.” Jenna nodded with a smile. She started the car and hummed appreciatively. “Oh, she runs like a dream.”

“I told you that I take good care of her.”

“It shows.” They pulled out smoothly and Michael lost the tension he didn’t know he was carrying. Jenna seemed like she was a good driver.

Michael looked out the window, watching some trick-or-treaters pass by as they got further away from the party. He wished he could be having fun like that. He was having fun being with Jenna though. Wait, was she his friend now?

“Whatcha thinking about, Michael?” Jenna asked with a hum. “It looks important.”

He glanced over at Jenna, seeing how she gave him a smile before focusing back on the road. “Hey, are we friends?” Even if they weren’t friends, Michael definitely wanted to be her friend now.

Jenna was quiet for a moment before humming. She sounded like she was deep in thought. “Would you want to be?”

“I wouldn’t be asking if I didn’t wanna be.”

“Then yes. We’re friends.” Jenna nodded. “Thank you, Michael.”

Michael beamed and pumped his fist into the air, though had to hold onto the weird car handlebar above the car door window after. “Of course. Also, woah, head-rush.”

“Careful, Michael!” Jenna cried, laughing a little again. She sounded happy, which was good. Maybe this trip wasn’t such a waste after all. He had a new friend, who was really sweet.

  
  
  


———

  
  
  


Okay, the hangover he had that weekend was awful. Thankfully, his moms took good care of him between scolding sessions. He hasn’t heard anything from Jenna though, obviously. Were they actually friends? They had to be, right?

Michael shook his head as he parked in his spot in the school parking lot. He could find her and maybe talk to her if she wasn’t surrounded by the popular kids. Yeah, okay, good game plan. Maybe she could help him too with helping Jeremy.

Jenna, surprisingly, wasn’t surrounded by anyone when Michael found her. She was standing off to the side, going through her locker alone. Huh. She always seemed to be around someone when he’d seen her at school in the past.

Despite his shock, Michael broke through it. “Hey,” he lamely said as he waved for a moment, walking over to her locker. “How are you doing?”

Jenna looked over, almost surprised. “Oh, hey Michael. What are you doing here?” She cringed a little, closing her locker. “Not that I’m not happy to see you! I’m just... I wasn’t expecting you to come say hi,” she finished awkwardly.

Michael raised a brow as he stuck his hands into his hoodie pockets. “Why not? Did you not think I remembered this weekend or something?” That would be the only reason he wouldn’t come in her mind, right?

“I mean, yeah.” Jenna fidgeted with her fingers. “People don’t really... notice me. Unless I have gossip. So I wasn’t expecting you to actually want to talk to me if you did remember.”

Oh, Jenna. “Well, I’m not people. Wait, I am a person but I’m not like most people. Plus, we’re friends, so I’m not going to leave my friend hanging if I can help it,” Michael insisted as he nodded.

“We are?” Jenna asked hopefully. “I wasn’t sure if that was the alcohol talking or not. Wouldn’t be the first time...” She muttered that last part. Michael wasn’t sure he was supposed to hear it.

Oh god, his protective instincts were coming out. Would it be weird to just hug her then and there? Yeah, that wasn’t a normal person thing to do. “Well, it wasn’t the alcohol talking. None of what I said before was the alcohol talking, I promise you that.”

Jenna blinked. Then again. She looked genuinely shocked and almost lost for a moment before a shy smile crossed her face and she started fiddling with her fingers again. “I... How are you with tactile affection? Like are you okay with touches or...? Because I’m a touchy person with people I like.”

Michael instantly held his arms out wide. “Surely you’ve seen me tackle hug Jeremy before,” he said with a toothy grin.

Jenna shyly shuffled over and into his arms. She was solid and warm in all the ways Michael didn’t realise he’d been missing since he lost Jeremy to the SQUIP. It felt good to give affection to someone who he wasn’t related to. 

“Yeah, I have, but you two have known each other for literal years. I didn’t want to assume anything,” Jenna muttered, weakly clinging to him. “You give nice hugs.”

He held on a bit more firmly to her before he started rubbing her back in small circles. “Thanks. I grew up in a very gay, very affectionate family. I thrive off of affection,” Michael admitted. Yeah, this was nice. “You also give nice hugs, by the way.”

“What a strange coincidence. So did I.” Jenna giggled. Michael decided he liked that sound. He liked the fact that Jenna seemed more relaxed and open than he’d ever seen her. She deserved to be able to feel safe and comfortable being herself.

Michael hummed before looking down at Jenna. “Wait, ‘so do I’ to which thing I said?”

Jenna smiled. “All of it. I thrive on affection, and both my dads are very affectionate.”

“Oh, sick! Good to know I’m not alone then.” Michael couldn’t help himself from beaming as he patted her back. Yeah, it felt nice to have someone on his side again.

Jenna gave him a quick squeeze before stepping back. “You wanna sit together during homeroom? We have pretty much the same schedule, if I remember correctly.”

Michael nodded as he stuck his hands back into his hoodie pockets. “Yeah, we pretty much do. I think our fourth period is the only difference ‘cause of elective choices.”

“Yeah, well journalism suited me better than the others, I think.” She hummed and looked around. “Do you need anything from your locker or are we good to go?”

“I’m all good to go. I learned using my locker in the morning is an invitation for disaster,” Michael answered as he started slowly walking to homeroom.

“Okay!” Jenna chirped. There was a spring in her step that Michael didn’t think he’d seen from anyone since they were in like, middle school or something. It was a bit unusual to see a teenager so happy and downright enthusiastic about the day to come. Well, except for Christine, but she was the exception. “So, you like video games, right? What do you play, more modern ones or classic?”

Oh, this he could talk about. Thank god she didn’t go for small talk. “Well, it depends. I love classics and have some systems my Ina had collected and gave to me, but sometimes I play more modern stuff if it peaks my interest.” He paused before asking, “Are you okay with me rambling?”

Jenna nodded excitedly. “Absolutely. I like listening, especially when someone is passionate about what they’re talking about.”

Michael knew he was grinning ear-to-ear as he nodded back. “Okay, get ready for nerd-geek central,” he warned before he started talking about some of the good modern games, like Animal Crossing, Hades, and the older generations of Pokémon.

Yeah, he could get used to having more than one real friend.


	2. Confrontation Is Just Swell, Isn't It?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, Ari here!  
> So, things seem a little different compared to normal, huh? However, things are going to get interesting real quick, I promise. For us and for Michael, though he may not like the kind of interesting it is.  
> Don’t forget that we have a new Tumblr for you to follow all of our future and current projects on! Follow us @ mariwritingco.tumblr.com when you can! We’re so excited to share our future works with you!  
> And now, a word from the lovely Mara.
> 
> Hey Lovelies! Mara here! Just so you know, this is where things get weird. Sure, we get epic friend Jenna, and heartbreaking time with Jeremy, but Michael also gets threatened. With a gun. It's a lot. And Michael is coping with everything surprisingly well, all things considered. Who knows how long that will last.  
> Enjoy!

“Okay, Michael, so you have about an hour before he’ll leave for the weekend from what I’ve gathered.” Jenna nodded as she leaned back on Michael’s bed and flipped through her phone. “It’s probably the best time to ambush him with this stuff since his SQUIP will most likely be focused on this trip. Even if you can’t get through to him right now with this stuff, you talking to him will help sow the seeds of doubt in his mind.”

Michael exhaled shakily as he nodded. He liked how close he had gotten with Jenna over this past week. She was easy to talk to, was sweet and smart with a bit of sass, and she genuinely cared about helping Jeremy too. Somehow, she’d gotten info that he was leaving for a weekend trip from he-said-she-said someway, and he had been preparing for this during school today.

But his nerves were eating at him. Maybe this was part of the reason why he drank last Friday. “But what if sowing those seeds isn’t enough and the SQUIP has full control over his brain or something by now?” He wished he knew more about the stupid tic-tac, but it was near impossible to find sources about it online, let alone find sources he could read.

“Well, this will give us a chance to gauge how in control of himself he actually is,” Jenna pointed out. “He’s being abused by this thing, at the very least. We know that for sure. And with help and support, abuse victims can choose to get away from their abusers.” She paused. “Just... don’t take his words to heart. He might say some really horrible stuff if his SQUIP is active, but I can promise you he won’t mean it. You saw how lost and sad he looked the other day. He was looking for you, I’m sure of it.”

Michael hesitated before nodding and scrubbing his face with his hands. “Yeah. I hope so,” he muttered, even as his chest tightened. “I wanna help him get that thing out of his head. I wish I could just wish it away.”

“Yeah. That would be best, but unfortunately we can’t.” She paused again before sighing. “I get why he did it, though. Go back a week and I would have jumped on the band wagon without much prompting. I just don’t think he realises how much damage it’s doing.” She sighed again. “Still, I have you to thank for helping me out. And I’m sure Jeremy will thank you after this is all over too. He just might not want to right now.”

His eyes softened as he looked at Jenna. “I’m glad I could help you out, and I hope you’re right. That I’ll be able to help him out, I mean.” After a moment of consideration, Michael offered his hand out to her.

Jenna took it instantly and squeezed, smiling softly at him. “I’m sure you will. If not today then soon. I know he misses you, even if he’s not allowed to.”

Michael swallowed a forming lump in his throat before nodding. “Yeah. Thanks, Jenna.”

Jenna tugged on his hand gently, pulling him over. “C’mere.” He let himself be pulled into a hug. Jenna started playing with his hair, already having realised it helped calm him down. “Hey, it’ll be okay. You’ve got me now, you’re not alone. I’ll support you for this one, okay? We’ll get him back safe and sound.”

He nodded as he hugged Jenna back, sniffling a little. Damnit, Michael, now wasn’t the time to cry. Maybe after confronting Jeremy, but not now! “Thanks, Jenna,” he repeated as he held onto the back of Jenna’s jacket.

“Of course, Michael. We’ll figure this out, I promise...” Michael was very glad he had trusted Jenna on Halloween. He wasn’t sure if he would have been able to do this alone.

  
  


———

  
  


After dropping Jenna off at home, Michael finally pulled up to the Heere household. He looked over at the house and swallowed the lump in his throat. Okay, this was it. He could do this, right? Yeah, he had to.

He parked his Cruiser in the driveway before getting out. Michael took a few deep breaths before walking up to the porch. Normally, he’d just walk in. It felt so weird to knock, but Michael did it anyway and waited.

There was the sound of calm footsteps heading to the door before it opened. None of the panicked scrambling that Jeremy would usually do, or the weird half jog that Mr. Heere always did.

Jeremy’s expression changed a lot when he saw Michael. It went from shocked to devastated to a sort of neutral indifference.

“Oh. Hi, Michael.” He sounded just as detached as he did in school, but Michael could hear the subtle tremor in his voice. He was really struggling to keep himself neutral.

Well, at least Michael wasn’t alone here. He nodded to Jeremy as he stuck his hands into his hoodie pocket. “Hi. We need to talk, it’s important.”

Jeremy’s eyes flickered to a spot just next to Michael, and Michael managed to spot the almost pleading expression that flickered in his eyes. If Michael didn’t know Jeremy better than he knew himself, he would have missed it. But he saw it, and it was clear that he _wanted_ to talk to Michael. He was asking permission.

“Sure. Come on in.” Jeremy said after a beat. He stepped aside, holding the door open for Michael. This felt weird and way too formal, but it was something. More than Michael had gotten from Jeremy in weeks.

Michael took it as he walked in, toeing off his shoes and putting them in the shoe cubby. All of Jeremy’s sneakers were gone and they were replaced with the loafers and such that those preppy fuckboys would wear. Nothing Jeremy liked. Well, he was wearing a button-up right now instead of the usual polos he started dawning, so he was switching it up a little. He missed the cardigan and simple short sleeves he’d wear. He missed the sweater paws.

Mentally shaking those wishes away, Michael made his way over to the couch. He sat in his usual spot in the corner closer to the window, but the groove he was used to was gone. He ignored how that tugged at his heart before gesturing to the rest of the couch as he looked at Jeremy.

Jeremy sat down on the armchair nearby, even if he didn’t look happy about it. Michael took a second to note the quiet sort of fondness in his eyes and expression, as well as the clear longing and sadness. Well, it was clear to him, anyway.

“Hi, Micheal... How are you?” Jeremy asked after a moment.

“Not that great. Better than I was last week when I got drunk ‘cause I missed you so much, but still not great.” He wouldn’t tell Jeremy about Jenna. If the SQUIP knew, especially as an abuser to Jeremy, that would just end in disaster. “And you?”

Jeremy flinched at that remark but otherwise didn’t react. “I’m... fine. Good, actually. And— Er, I’ve missed you too.” He looked away and started fiddling with his fingers, hunched over slightly in shame. Then his back abruptly straightened and he was still once more. God. He looked so tired.

Michael scooted a bit closer to Jeremy and hummed. “You look tired though. Are you sure you’re good?”

Jeremy’s expression hardened, but Michael could see it was forced. “I’m fine, Michael. Now, what do you want?”

Okay, go time. “I need to talk to you about your Squip, as much as I’d love to sit and catch up with you.”

Jeremy’s hard expression faltered. “My SQUIP?” he asked. “What about it?”

Michael took a deep breath. “What I’ve found out about them, because I care about you and want you to know about this.”

“But how?” Jeremy asked incredulously. “There was nothing online about them or anything!”

“Which is weird, right? If this thing is as amazing as it says it is, it should be posted on Reddit and so many forums and websites! But I found something out from my WOW friend.”

“Yeah? And? Why do I care about some rando?”

Michael huffed as he shook his head. “Because something that happened to him could happen to you. Can I please explain?”

Jeremy frowned before making a sweeping gesture as he sat back. “Go ahead.”

“His brother got a SQUIP and went from a straight D student to a straight A student, and he was going to be accepted into Yale. You’d think that’s a good thing, right? Well, his brother started losing it ‘cause of the SQUIP in his head and started going crazy trying to get it out. He almost accidentally killed himself ‘cause of it.”

Jeremy was quiet for a minute before he looked away. “Well I guess I have nothing to worry about then. Why would I want to get rid of it?” he muttered.

“Because it’s gonna drive you crazy. He didn’t want to get rid of it until the thing made him snap,” Michael said, but he didn’t beg. He kept his tone firm and serious. Jeremy needed to know he wasn’t joking around.

Jeremy turned to glare at Michael. “Oh, so you think I’m gonna go crazy? Is that it?” he snapped. “Is it so strange to think that _maybe_ something good could happen to me for once? I mean, haven’t I been through enough?”

Woah, okay, a lot was thrown at him at once. Michael raised his hands in mock surrender as he collected his thoughts. “You have, and the thing in your head isn’t helping. You deserve better than it, and I wanna help you.”

“Oh, _you_ want to help me?” Jeremy narrowed his eyes and Michael suddenly felt very small. “What about the past few _years_ then? Why weren’t you helping me then? Why did you never notice how much you’re whole ‘oh, things will be better in college’ shtick hurt me?! Why is it only _now_ that you’re listening and wanting to help?” Wait, what?

Michael stared at Jeremy as he sat up and tried to keep his composure. “You never told me that it hurt you. If I had known, I would have stopped. I’m so sorry, Remy.” Why hadn’t Jeremy told him? Michael was sure they had good communication.

Jeremy huffed and looked away again. “Yeah, well it’s always been about you. What games _you_ liked, what music _you_ liked, what _you_ wanted out of school. Hell, _you_ were player one on _my_ console!” Michael had never heard Jeremy sound so bitter and angry before. Especially not directed at him. “And now when things are _finally_ going my way, you want to take that away? Yeah, I don’t think so, buddy.”

Michael quickly shook his head, even as his chest started tightening up. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know I was being like that. I just wanted to share things with you that I thought you would like too. And okay, things are good for you, you have a good social standing, but are you happy? I thought you wanted to date Christine and hated wearing button-ups and polo tees.”

“Yeah, what would you know about me?” Jeremy bit back. “You haven’t talked to me about my likes and dislikes since _middle school._ And people change, Michael.” He sighed and rubbed his eyes. Michael still wasn’t used to seeing him without glasses. “Look, I appreciate the concern but you need to stop. Just... maybe be happy that things are finally going my way.” His tone dropped to something softer, something akin to begging. “Why not support me with this instead of just... expecting me to follow you blindly? I’ve missed you, Mikey, but things weren’t working how they were before. I want to be better. I want us _both_ to be better.”

Michael had to swallow a forming lump in his throat as he tried to process everything Jeremy was telling him. He had talked to Jeremy about his likes and dislikes. Many times, he was sure of it. Maybe the SQUIP was messing with his memories too or something? “I want us to be better too, and I wanna be better for you. I want to make sure you’re happy, and you aren’t from what I’m seeing. I may not know you as well as I thought I did, but you’re my best friend. We can work this out together instead of apart. We’re teenagers, damnit, we’re gonna make mistakes but I don’t wanna lose you.”

“Well you won’t.” Jeremy hesitated, then his eyes lit up. Almost literally. They seemed to be almost glowing. “Actually, that’s an idea... Mikey, why don’t you take one as well? I can get hold of one easily. Then we can _both_ be better and we can be together again! Plus, it can help with your sensory stuff so you don’t get overwhelmed at school.”

Michael had to keep himself from choking out of surprise. “Wait, what? No! I’m here trying to tell you why it’s _bad_. I’m not gonna get one!” He waved a hand in front of himself as he spoke and he even shook his head. This couldn’t be Jeremy talking, even if it sounded like him. His eyes were glowing, for fucks sake!

“But maybe your WOW friend was the exception. Maybe they’re _not_ bad.” Jeremy sounded so excited and almost desperate, and this was honestly so heartbreaking. “You said technology isn’t inherently evil, it’s just about how we use it, right? Well, why can’t we use it to help ourselves? Why don’t we try not being losers!”

It took a heavy heart and a big surge of willpower for Michael to just not give in. “Because this technology has been used in a bad way, Remy. This stuff has, like, bad morals and ethics programmed into it already. Has it ever told you to do shit you didn’t agree with or were mortified by?”

Jeremy’s expression didn’t change. “Yeah, but that’s only because I was such a pathetic loser before.” He shrugged. “I’m better now. And I’m used to it all now too.”

Michael stared at him with wide, horrified eyes. This was _definitely_ not Remy. “Just because you’re used to it doesn’t mean it’s okay. You need to listen to me, please. This thing is seriously fucking with you and it’s gonna be more harm than the money it was worth.” He wished he had stopped Jeremy from getting this thing.

“It’s not fucking with me. It’s making me better,” Jeremy replied defensively. “I was so terrible before. But now I’m not, I’m doing great! I’m actually a functional human being and I’m _not_ disgusting!”

Oh god, he just wanted to cradle Jeremy close. “You were never terrible before, you were never disgusting, you were never any of those things it said about you! You are a sweet, kind, and thoughtful human being who I am so happy to know and care for,” Michael insisted as he got up and kneeled by Jeremy, offering his hand to his best friend. “See, if it’s saying these awful things about you, then I know that thing is bogus. Please, Jeremy.”

“Why would it be lying when I already knew that was true?” Jeremy asked innocently, as if he didn’t realise just how devastating those words were.

Michael just shook his head. “That is _not_ the truth. Never has that ever been true.”

Jeremy wrinkled his nose. “Yeah, it was. It was for a fucking long time. And I had already accepted it. But I’m better now. And I’m slowly getting what I want too, it just takes time. There’s a lot that needs to be fixed before I can have what I actually want and can be happy.” His tone was still borderline begging, like he was desperate for Michael to understand.

“This is not the way to go about it. You’re changing yourself in a way I know you don’t want to, becoming a shell of who you really are.” Michael sighed and offered his hand once more. “Please know I just want to help. Do you really trust a piece of tech more than me?”

Jeremy stared down at Michael’s hand with wide eyes. Then he looked up at Michael, his expression turning wobbly and Michael knew he’d gotten through to him. His heart warmed with hope.

Jeremy trusted him. Jeremy knew he wouldn’t purposefully lead him down a bad path. Jeremy knew Michael would always protect him—

“Yes, I do.” The ice cold words cut through that hope like a sharp knife. “Because you’re fallible. My SQUIP is not.” Jeremy stood up and sneered down at Michael. That soft, vulnerable expression he had seconds ago was gone, replaced by something harsh and condescending. It wasn’t a Jeremy expression, not even a SQUIPed Jeremy expression.

Michael stared up at Jeremy with wide eyes as he scooted back, just so he wasn’t being directly towered over. “What? Yes, it is—“

“It’s already calculated every outcome to this conversation, and they all lead to you leaving. Now.” There was no warmth in Jeremy’s voice, no familiarity in his expression. There was just the harsh, clinical feeling of Michael being dissected and judged under a microscope.

After swallowing the lump in his throat, Michael managed to stand up and look down at Jeremy. Somehow, he still felt like he was being looked down on, even if he was taller. “So you can go to your appointment, right?” This wasn’t Jeremy. Was it the SQUIP directly? His eyes were still glowing, so maybe.

Jeremy smiled, but it was cold and detached. More a bearing of teeth than an expression of joy. A show of power and control. “Now get out of my house, Michael. You’re not welcome back unless you get yourself a SQUIP, understand?”

Michael slowly nodded as he took in the SQUIP, surely. “Alright. Okay.” He walked over to his shoe rack as he tried to keep his breathing in check. The situation was worse than he or Jenna could have thought.

“And if you _do_ decide you want a SQUIP, well... you have my number. But I will block you if you message me for any other reason,” the SQUIP said with Jeremy’s voice. “And because we were friends, I’ll even give one to you for free. You’ll have to supply the Mountain Dew though.”

He nodded again as he quickly toed on his shoes. “Alright, thank you for the heads up.” Michael took his keys out of his pocket and looked back at Jeremy and the SQUIP, not wanting to leave him like this. He didn’t know how to help Jeremy though. He needed more information.

Michael didn’t like how the condescending smirk sat on Jeremy’s face so he quickly looked away. Just remember what Jenna said. His words wouldn’t be his own. They were the SQUIP’s words. He and Jeremy were still friends, it was the SQUIP who was messing with things, that’s all. Jeremy still cared.

“I’ll see you at school then. Maybe.” Michael quickly turned away as he left, shutting the door behind himself before he hurried to his car.

Okay, that was freaky as all hell. He had to keep himself calm or he’d panic from the confrontation and everything that was said. He could be more chill. Yeah, totally.

He fumbled with his keys a little with how badly his hands were shaking, and he climbed into his car the moment it was unlocked. Okay, he needed to just wait a minute before driving. Just to get his composure. Yeah. Not because he was already crying and couldn’t see properly, not at all.

Jeremy came out the house before he had calmed down, carrying an overnight back. He looked up at the cruiser with wide, sad eyes before his head jerked to the side and he focused on his dad’s car. He was in and gone before Michael could really do anything, driving off to whatever appointment was so important.

Michael waited until Jeremy was long gone to roughly scrub his eyes dry. Okay, he needed to get something as a pick-me-up before updating Jenna. He needed a Slurpee and some unhealthy, cheap snacks.

With a destination in mind, Michael started up his beloved Cruiser and drove off. It didn’t take him long to reach the 7/11 near Jeremy’s house. There was a reason they always gamed at Jeremy’s place, and that reason was easy access to snacks and drinks.

He leaned his head back against the seat as he took a few deep breaths. Okay, he just needed some unhealthy snacks to cope with what happened. Maybe some Doritos for Mama and some gummies for Ina too. Yeah, okay, he had a plan. Sick.

It was such a perfect plan that he was focusing on that he almost missed the flash of movement darting around the side of the 7/11. Almost being the main word in that sentence. Wait. That looked like Jeremy.

He took a quick glance around the parking lot. Mr. Heere’s car wasn’t here, but he definitely saw Jeremy.

Michael got out of his car and peered around the back of the convenience store. Yeah, there was another flash of Jeremy! What the hell?

That Jeremy shaped blur ran into what Michael had always assumed to be an abandoned house. As far as he knew, no one had lived there for years, and even the squatters had left it alone thanks to the surveillance on the 7/11.

Even though all his instincts told Michael to ignore it, something else in his head told him to follow. It drowned everything else out as he walked over to the house, glancing around as he did. No cars, no wrappers, no nothing.

The door was open just a crack too, still creaking from when the Jeremy blur had run inside. Michael couldn’t hear anything in there, though, so maybe he imagined it. There wasn’t going to be Jeremy hiding out in the abandoned building by 7/11. He was too important for that sort of thing now, right?

Still, that voice told him to go in, so he did. He carefully opened it, listening to it whine as he stepped in. “Hello?”

There was no response.

Michael was just contemplating the fact that this might be a really bad idea when the door slammed shut and the cold metal of what he assumed was a gun muzzle pressed against the back of his head.

“Don’t. Move,” the voice behind him growled. Michael stiffened, both because he had a gun to his head and _that sounded just like Jeremy but older somehow_!

Michael wanted to move his hands up in surrender but didn’t. He exhaled and instead said,” I won’t.” As he tried to glance around and get an idea as to what was going on besides the fact that he was being held _at gunpoint_.

The house was very clearly abandoned a while ago, with how old and worn the furniture looked, but it was clearly in use.

“Sixer, stop it! It’s Michael. We agreed, we won’t put this Michael in danger like this!” Wait, that sounded like Jeremy too. “Put the gun down, we can talk to him!” Sure enough, Jeremy came around from behind Michael, except he looked different. He seemed... smaller, somehow. Softer. His hair was curlier and his cardigan seemed to leave him with perpetual sweater paws. He smiled at Michael almost sheepishly. “Hi, Michael. Sorry. You weren’t supposed to see me, and Sixer is being over cautious. You’re not in danger. We won’t hurt you.”

“I might,” growled the angry, older Jeremy voice from behind Michael, and the gun pressed harder against Michael’s head. “Net, you need to check if he’s clear. If the SQUIPs aren’t in his head, I’ll put the gun away.”

“I do not have that damn thing in my head, I promise,” Michael said, and he knew his voice was trembling at this point. Okay, so his somewhat suppressed panic attack was coming back. _Great_.

“See? He’s clean! But fine, I’ll check him out.” The softer Jeremy focused back on Michael and held his hands out soothingly. “Just hold still, Michael. This will only take a second.” Then, Jeremy’s eyes seemed to fucking _roll back in their sockets_ as he moved his fingers like a puppeteer controlling their marionette. Michael felt a swooping sensation in his gut, and his arms were pulled up to dangle uselessly by his head for a second before they dropped back down and Jeremy’s eyes returned to normal.

“He’s clean!”

There was a distinctive click behind Michael, then the shifting of fabric. The cold feeling of the gun vanished.

“Good. I didn’t like doing that, so you know, but we can’t be too careful.” The older voice sounded less angry now, but still just as intimidating.

Michael chanced a look back. Lo and behold, there was a old and hot as hell Jeremy behind him, wearing almost a full suit, with glasses, and with scars littering his skin from what Michael could see. He looked back at the soft Jeremy and yup, still there.

Michael looked between the two a few times as his brain caught up to what he was seeing.

Why were there two Jeremys?!


	3. Surprise! You're Seeing (Literal) Double!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovelies! Mara here! This chapter sort of just continues where the last one ended. We have 2 versions of Jeremy and a very confused, very overwhelmed Michael. We also get a bit more of an explanation as to what’s going on and just who we’re dealing with.  
> Don’t forget that we have a new Tumblr for you to follow all of our future and current projects on! Follow us @ mariwritingco.tumblr.com when you can!
> 
> And now, a word from my best friend and best writing partner, Ari!
> 
> Hey guys, Ari here!  
> So we get to know who these Jeremys are and learn more about our Michael’s Jeremy. Things will start to make more sense soon, so get prepared for a lot of information.  
> Enjoy!

“I know you didn’t like it, Sixer, but this was my fault, not his.” The soft Jeremy puffed out his cheeks and frowned at the old Jeremy. “I shouldn’t have been outside. I was just... I saw the car and I needed to at least _see_ him.”

The older Jeremy sighed and rubbed his eyes, shifting his glasses up for a moment to do so. “Yeah, I get it, but now we have him to look after and it’s already hard enough just keeping you safe, Net.” They were talking like Michael wasn’t there. Or maybe they were just giving him space to process what he was seeing? “Take a seat, Michael. We’ll explain everything. And yes, before you say a word, we’re both Jeremy.” The older Jeremy pulled over a soft looking arm chair and put it next to Michael. So it was the latter then, they had been giving him a moment. “You can call me Sixer. The baby is Net.”

“Hey! I’m eighteen! I’m not a baby!” the soft Jeremy, Net, cried in indignation. It just made him somehow more adorable.

Michael just nodded as he slowly got up. It took him longer than normal on account of how badly his legs were shaking. He held onto the arm of the chair as he tried to lighten the mood. “Hey, he’s older than me, so not a baby in that way,” Michael tried, but his nervous laugh ruined any joking tone he might have held.

“Yeah, see? Not a baby.” Net pouted. Sixer rolled his eyes _fondly_.

“You know I’m just teasing, Net.” He sighed. “Now stop pouting. Michael needs our help understanding all of this.”

“Oh, right!” Net looked over to Michael and knelt down next to the chair. “This has got to be a lot for you, Michael, so how can we help?”

Michael shrugged as he managed to sit down in the chair, almost falling down into it. “I don’t know. I just— There’s _two of you_ and I’m just— You just—“

“Yes. There are two Jeremys in the room with you now. And there would be a third that you just spoke to earlier, judging from where you were driving from,” Sixer explained before he nodded with a hum. “We’re all Jeremy Heere, just with different experiences. Sort of like... different timelines, or different universes, where sometimes the rules are different.”

“Like Into the Spiderverse!” Net chirped.

Michael looked between the two of them almost helplessly as he took this in. Okay, he knew what Into the Spiderverse was. An amazing movie. So... “Alternative universes exist? You two are proof of that?”

Sixer shrugged. “Yup. And the rest of them are too.”

“‘The rest of them’?”

“Mhmm.” Net nodded. “There’s about two dozen different universes all being hosted in this one. Including mine and Sixer’s,” he explained. “One of the... of the SQUIPs _didn’t_ get beaten in their universe, even if we thought it did, so it’s the one who brought us here...” Net’s voice got softer and he looked away from Michael for a second before looking back, smiling and offering his hand. Michael could tell the smile was a bit forced, but also practiced. If it had been any other face, Michael wouldn’t have been able to tell, but he knew Jeremy’s face too well to not notice.

Michael nodded as he processed everything, taking Net’s hand to hopefully comfort him. “So the SQUIPs are definitely evil and are in every universe? Like, a universal antagonist?”

“Yup.” Net and Sixer both nodded at the same time, then blinked in surprise, probably because of how in sync they were.

“They take different forms, but anything labelled as a SQUIP is usually bad. Like, my version was a hitman mafia organisation, with the equivalent of your world’s Squip being the big boss,” Sixer said. “SQUIP was the term for anyone in the organization, but the boss was the real one we had to take down.” 

“Mine was a haunted, demonic video game cabinet,” Net supplied helpfully.

So Sixer was a hitman? And Net had played a haunted— “Wait, like the song Cabinet Man by Lemon Demons?” When Sixer nodded while Net looked confused, Michael couldn’t help but laugh (nervously and anxiously, but it was something). “Wow. Sounds like what a lot of people write online on fanfiction websites, no offense.”

“And meeting alternate versions of your best friend isn’t?” Sixer challenged, but Michael could see the amusement in his expression.

“Well, yeah, but I swear I’ve read stuff like this on, like, AO3 or fanfiction.net back in the day,” Michael said as he rested his head back and exhaled shakily. “This is so fucking weird. Are you sure I’m not tripping or high or something?”

“Promise.” Net nodded, squeezing his hand. “And let’s be honest, Michael, you’re creative, but not this sort of creative. You’re more suited to making video games or music. Not writing.”

Michael whined as he tried to purposefully pout. “Making video games and music involves writing.”

Net giggled at that, so Michael considered it a win. 

“So, Michael, what state is my—... is Jeremy’s dad in?” Sixer asked, needing to pause to reevaluate his sentence. Good to know Michael wasn’t the only one.

Michael had to think about it for a minute. “Last time I saw Mr. Heere, he was just wearing underwear and in a bathrobe. Working from home and depressed,” he explained.

“Okay, so this is more like my world.” Sixer nodded. “And I’m guessing your Jeremy is discontent with life, and utterly clueless?”

Utterly clueless? Michael looked at Sixer, sure his confusion was showing. “What do you mean about the clueless part? He’s not happy with how things were, but clueless?”

Sixer shot Net an amused, knowing look before holding out his hand. Michael could see a lovely wedding band on his ring finger. “I want you to take a guess at who I’m married to. And you’re welcome to look more closely at the ring too, but not take it off.”

Oh shit, he was married? It had to be someone Michael knew if he was asking. Michael leaned forward, looking over the ring as he carefully took Sixer’s offered hand with his free hand.

The ring was simple, just like Jeremy would have loved. There were spiraling vines engraved around the ring. Something about the band was familiar though, but Michael couldn’t place it.

Michael furrowed his brows as he gently felt around, trying to place how it was familiar. “Uh... Did you marry Christine? Or Brooke?”

“Nope.” Sixer grinned. “But they were both there. I’ll give you a hint: it was a man. I’m bi.” Net nodded along sagely. Wait, did that mean that _every_ Jeremy was bi?!

After trying to process that, Michael looked over at Net. “Are you bi too?”

“Yup.” Net looked excited. “And I’m dating the same person in my world too. My version of him, anyways.”

Michael was quiet as he looked between the two of them. Why did they have such expectant looks? Wait.

“Is it... me?” Michael asked in disbelief.

Both Sixer and Net grinned and nodded.

“Every version of me that I’ve seen has been with their version of Michael. Romantically,” Net explained. “Sometimes they’ve known each other years and it’s a new thing, sometimes it’s love at first sight. But all the Jeremys love their Michael.”

It took a few moments for that to sink in. “But... How? I haven’t ever had an inkling from Jeremy that he liked me,” Michael said. Only just recently, when he didn’t have Jeremy around because of the SQUIP, did Michael realize he liked Jeremy. Plus, Jeremy loved Christine.

“Like I said, he’s clueless.” Sixer sighed fondly. “But you know how you’re just figuring out that you like him? He’s having the same realization.”

Michael doubted it, but this was a literal Jeremy telling him this. “I... Okay.”

Sixer pulled out his wallet from inside his suit jacket, then opened it up. He showed it to Michael. There was a picture inside, of presumably Sixer and an older version of himself. They were both in suits, holding hands, and Sixer was about to step on a glass. “Proof enough?”

Okay, yeah, undeniable proof. “Not all Jeremys that exist love their version of me though, right? That’s, like, statistically impossible,” Michael murmured as he admired the wedding picture.

“Actually, I think it’s just a given at this point. Every Jeremy and Michael we’ve found have ended up together,” Net said. “And I’ve seen them all. Every single one that came in right up until, uh, couple number 16?”

What the hell? Michael had to lean back in the chair again and stare at the ceiling. He and Jeremy were destined to be together? What made that possible? That just... “This is a lot to take in, guys.”

“Yeah. I don’t blame you for being overwhelmed.” Sixer hummed. “My Michael... he wasn’t dealing with it well before we got put into stasis. We’ve seen some seriously crazy shit but...” He shook his head with a sigh.

Michael waved his hand at Sixer. “I don’t know what you mean but hearing you say that isn’t helping,” he said. “This has been so much to just take in and I just need a break. Mentally.”

“You want us to leave?” Net asked. “We can go to the other room. Or you can go home.”

He tried to think about an answer but it all hurt made Michael want to curl up and cry right then and there. “I don’t know,” he pathetically answered.

Sixer’s eyes went wide and he hesitated. “Can I hug you, Michael? Would that be okay?”

Michael just nodded as he kept his hold on Net’s hand, though he kept it loose in case Net wanted to go. Maybe he was being too much for Net. He seemed a bit freaked when Michael glanced at him.

Net seemed to hold his hand tighter as Michael was scooped up into Sixer’s arms. This version of Jeremy was so strong, and even if he was more solid, he still felt like Jeremy. Michael couldn’t help but relax.

He rested his head against Sixer’s shoulder, shutting his eyes as he tried to breathe deeply. Michael was able to slowly calm down after who knew how long. He didn’t. Time was weird when he had his attacks, and he didn’t wanna open his eyes just her. He was comfortable.

"Hey, Michael, are you feeling any better?" Net asked softly. Michael felt his hand get gently squeezed and their fingers get intertwined.

Michael nodded slightly, nuzzling against Sixer’s shoulder. “Yeah. Yeah. I feel a bit better.”

"Okay, good." Net said with a hun. Then he made a small, excited sound. "Will you be okay with Sixer for a moment? I'll be right back."

“Uh, sure.” Michael felt Net slowly let go of his hand, and he didn’t do anything as he heard him walk away.

“So, Michael, do you have any questions for me? While Net goes and does his stuff, I mean.” Sixer murmured, starting to gently play with Michael’s hair. Oh, that was nice. He knew just how Michael liked it, which made sense, but still.

His mind was calm enough for Michael to actually think of questions now, which was a plus. “How did you all get here? There has to be some machine or something that brought you here, right?”

“Yeah, there is a machine,” Sixer started to explain. “But it was powered by a— well by a SQUIP, technically. Net’s SQUIP. They’re the one who brought us here, and they’re using us as links to the others. The more versions of us they collect, the more universes they can infect.” He paused. “That’s what I’ve managed to gather, anyway. I don’t know how accurate it is.”

Oh. That was... “So they get different versions of us to power their machine to get more so they can keep getting better access to more universes? The different versions of us are just power sources.”

“Exactly.” From what Michael could feel, Sixer nodded. “It’s quite ingenious, honestly. I’d be impressed if it wasn’t so evil.”

“But how do they give off power?” Michael asked as he thought back to the movie. “Wait, do you guys glitch?”

“Not so far,” Sixer said slowly, sounding almost nervous. “But I think that’s part of what’s powering the machine. It harnesses the glitches that would take place and turns that into inter-dimensional energy or some shit.” He sighed and moved his hand away for a moment before going back to playing with Michael’s hair.

Michael leaned a bit more into the touch as he thought this over. “So it wants all these different versions for this energy-to-power source. What does it want once it can access all these different universes?”

“It’s like a virus; it wants to infect and spread and control. I don’t think there is an end goal beyond that: total control.” Sixer sighed again. He sounded tired, Michael could hear it now in his voice. He wasn’t sure how he missed it before, it was glaringly obvious now.

Maybe because he was so strung and panicked before. Michael shifted his free hand to find and hold on to Sixer’s arm, rubbing up and down there. “Okay, not fun but good to know. What can I do to help? Can I even help?”

“Help would very much be appreciated.” Sixer nodded, nuzzling against Michael’s hair. “We’re planning a raid on one of the SQUIP facilities. We could use your help getting as many Others out as we can. The more we free, the weaker the SQUIP gets.”

Less people there, less power to spread. Made sense. “But what about glitching? What’s the timeline? The movie made it short so I dunno how long we have,” Michael said. “Also, how would we be able to send you guys back? Through a portal or something made by the machine?”

“I guess so. I don’t remember much about it, unfortunately.” Sixer sounded apologetic. “I just remember a bright light, then appearing collapsed on the floor in front of Net’s SQUIP. And after that, I sort of... zoned out until Net released me from the stasis pod I was put in. That was in a side facility not too far from here, but it wasn’t SQUIP HQ, which is where we need to get to in order to take out that SQUIP once and for all.” Okay, that made sense. They could do that, sure. After all, apparently every other Michael and Jeremy pair had taken down their SQUIPs.

“I’m back! And I brought you a slushie, Michael!” Net called from the door.

Michael slowly opened his eyes then, looking over to see Net there with a blue Slurpee. Oh god, he still had sweater paws as he held onto the cup, as if using it to keep his hands from getting cold. “Thanks, Net,” Michael murmured as Net came over with the drink. He took it, not needing sweater paws to keep his hands warm, and slowly drank the sugary treat. Oh god, yeah, he needed that.

Net giggled as he sat down. “Good to know things are the same no matter what.” He grinned. “Slushies are easily the best thing in existence.” Both Michael and Sixer agreed with a hum.

After shifting so all three of them could somehow fit in this chair, which was bigger than Michael thought, Michael continued to drink his Slurpee. He waited until he was half done with it to speak. “Okay, so... I probably have to go soon so my moms don’t freak. What time is it?”

“Uh, like almost five?” Net pushed back his sleeve to check his watch and Michael almost cooed when he saw that the boy had blue nail polish on that matched his cardigan. It was worn and chipped but clearly had been expertly applied.

Michael nodded before taking another sip. Yes, very good. “Okay. So, I do have to go soon for dinner. I can come tomorrow and we can start working and planning on raiding a place? You mentioned a SQUIP facility nearby. Well, Sixer did,” Michael said as Net pushed his sleeve back down.

“Yeah, there’s one nearby. It’s the one I got Sixer out of, so we know where it is for sure. The others, including the HQ, I’m not so sure abo—“ Net’s voice cut off suddenly and his eyes went wide and unfocused. “Did your Jeremy go to an appointment today?” he asked softly.

Oh no. “Uh, he did. Are you okay, and how did you know?” Michael asked as he offered out his free hand to Net.

Net didn’t take it. Instead, his eyes rolled back again and his hands lifted like they were pulled up by strings. A sort of holographic screen formed between them, showing what looked like a point of view shot from atop a throne. Jeremy, Michael’s Jeremy from this world, was approaching slowly. He looked so confused and lost.

“Michael?” Jeremy slowly asked. “What are you doing here? What’s going on? I thought— I just left you at my house earlier, didn’t I?”

Wait, what? Michael scooted closer to figure out what was going on, like it would help. He was shocked and leaned back when he heard his voice respond to Jeremy.

“Oh, I’m not Michael,” the voice promised. “You left him before you came here, yes. I may look like him, but I’m entirely different, I assure you.”

“Then why do you look just like him?” Jeremy asked, stepping closer without seeming to realize it. “Why did my SQUIP say you’re the one who can upgrade me? And how can I win back Michael after it made me act like that? I really hurt him! He was just trying to help, even if he doesn’t get what’s going on.” So that wasn’t Jeremy earlier after all. Michael knew it had to be the SQUIP saying that shit before.

As Jeremy walked closer, a hand entered the point of view they were watching from, like how a person would see themself extend their own hand to someone in front of them. “I can answer all of your questions if you take my hand and let me help you, Jeremy.” Michael wanted to yell at Jeremy to not do it, but he wasn’t there. Damnit.

Jeremy started at the hand intently, but he didn’t take it straight away. “If I take your hand, will it help me be better? Will it help me be a better person and get to be a proper friend to Michael again?”

The screen moved up and down, as if the person they were watching was nodding. “I will help you to upgrade once you take my hand. You will be better and you will be able to be friends with Michael again. Trust me.”

When he heard that, Jeremy didn’t hesitate. He took the hand and instantly stiffened. His eyes lost focus but his expression went panicked. “What are you doing to me?!”

Another hand appeared and gently shushed Jeremy, the finger of it pressing against his lips. “Shh, Jeremy. Let the upgrade happen.” The hand moved from Jeremy’s lips as Jeremy instantly quieted to the nape of Jeremy’s neck. Michael’s heart ached and his throat tightened as he saw the panic and pain Jeremy was in, though it all came to a head as the hand pressed against the nape of Jeremy’s neck then pulled back.

Jeremy’s entire body slumped over without falling over. For a moment, he was motionless, just breathing hard. Then he righted himself, stood to attention with perfect posture and opened his eyes. They were too blue, but not glowing anymore, just that unearthly shade of blue from earlier. His face was the worst part, though. It was entirely expressionless, not an ounce of personality or thought visible.

“Upgrade status: complete,” he said in a monotone voice that broke Michael momentarily. “Jeremiah Noah Heere added to Network. Designation: Drone 600. Awaiting orders.”

The voice hummed happily and seemed to sit back in the throne. “Drone 600, you will be staying overnight to finish updates and learn your new procedures in regards to the SQUIP network as well as myself. Tomorrow, you will go home and carry out your new goals and tasks. Understood?”

“Yes, Host. Understood.” Jeremy nodded, his face still totally neutral. He turned and walked away, his motions too smooth and fluid to even appear _human_ anymore.

“And that, gentlemen, is what you get for crossing me,” the voice said. It sounded like it was smirking. “Bring me back my Jeremy and I’ll let that one go. I miss my pretty little puppet, and I expect none of you will last very long without my support.” The voice (Host (?)) chuckled. “You know how to contact me. Sleep tight.” The screen flickered out and Net cried out in pain and collapsed. Sixer instantly had his arms around him, stopping him from falling over entirely.

Michael instantly put the cup down before he helped Sixer hold onto Net. He worked with Sixer to have Net occupy most of the chair and to lie back in it. “Hey, it’s okay,” Michael said, shifting to run one hand through Net’s hair. “You’re okay.”

Net’s eyes were squeezed shut but he was already crying and shaking his head. “No, no, I’m not.” He sobbed, hiccuping and barely able to form his words. “He knows! He’s gonna take me back! He’s gonna— gonna make me that thing again and I can’t— I can’t do it!” The tears slipped down his cheeks and Michael noted that some of them left faint black streaks in his skin.

“He won’t take you back. He won’t control you again, Net,” Sixer firmly said. “You’re stronger than that. And you’ll be okay. We’ll get him back, just like everyone else, and SQUIP will be gone for good, yeah?”

Even if he had no idea what exactly Net meant, Michael wasn’t going to let anything bad happen to him. “Yeah. We’ll get SQUIP out of him and help everyone, including you. We’ll be able to save everyone and you’ll get your Michael back.” God, that was weird to say.

Net didn’t say anything. He just launched himself at Michael, clinging to him desperately as he sobbed. “I— I just want him safe. I want my best friend back,” he choked out, burying his face against Michael’s shoulder.

Michael shifted to hug Net and hold him close. He had helped Michael out, so Michael was going to help him out now. “You’ll get him back, we’ll make sure of it,” Michael promised as he gently squeezed Net.

Slowly but surely, Net’s sobs died down to the occasional hiccup, then his breathing evened out entirely. Michael glanced down and was more than a little surprised to find that Net had passed out asleep.

“Getting hijacked like that always wipes him out,” Sixer whispered sadly. “But this is the first time he’s calmed down so quickly, or managed to sleep without being forced into bed. So thanks.”

“Oh, yeah, of course.” So this SQUIP controlling Net’s Michael, Host, hijacked Net to show Jeremy being utterly fucked with to them? Michael wanted to destroy that tic— Wait, no, it was a demon in Net’s world. Ugh. He wanted to demolish the SQUIP to a pulp, and he was a pretty pacifist kind of person.

“I know that look and I agree,” Sixer said “But for now we just have to take care of him. Here, lemme take him. I’ll go put him to bed before seeing you off.”

Michael nodded after a moment and slowly let go of Net. Sixer carefully scooped Net into his arms and walked out of the room and down the hall, presumably to wherever their temporary bedroom was set up. Michael picked up the cup, sipping on mostly sugar water now as he tried to reflect on everything that just transpired, both before and during his time with these two Jeremys.

It was insane, but he no longer believed this to be a bad trip at least. And he was totally on board for helping them too, and getting rid of Net’s SQUIP for good. Michael wanted to help send them home. 

“Thanks for your help, Michael.” Sixer walked back into the main room, looking tired but managing to hold himself together. “I’d offer to drive you home, but I have a feeling he’ll freak out if he wakes up alone after that. Will you be able to make it home alright?”

“Yeah, I think so.” Michael stood up and gave Sixer the best smile he could. “Sorry I can’t stay, but I’ll come by tomorrow around eleven?”

“That sounds great. Thank you so much, Michael.” Sixer returned the smile with a somewhat shaky smile of his own. “I’ll let him know when he wakes up.”

Michael nodded before offering his arm out for a hug. Sixer hesitated first a moment before taking it. Thankfully, Sixer was only a little taller than Jeremy, so Michael was still taller and could rest his head against Sixer’s. “We’ll figure this all out and you’ll get your Mikey back.”

Sixer tensed up for a split second before melting into Michael’s arms. “Goddamnit, Michael, you’re gonna get _me_ crying now,” he grumbled, but there was no heat behind his words. “Stay safe. We’ll be here waiting for you.”


	4. The Beginnings of an Even Bigger Best-Friend Mission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Lovelies! Mara here again. Tired from everything we accomplished this week (seriously, check out our Tumblr for more info https://www.tumblr.com/blog/mariwritingoffical ) but doing great! So happy and excited for everything we've done. I hope you enjoy it all.  
> This chapter is a bit more down to earth, sort of. We still have two extra Jeremys running around, and the regular Jeremy may or may not be a drone for the SQUIPs. But sure, Michael can pretend he can cope for a while. Besides, Sixer makes great pancakes, even if he makes Michael do physical exercise.
> 
> And now, a word from my Ari <3
> 
> Hey guys, Ari here!  
> A bit worn out today but I’m still gonna give some brief notes. So we got a whole handful of other things, including Jenna, Michael’s moms talking with him, and getting settled with Sixer and Net. It’s not too intense... yet.  
> Enjoy guys!

By the time Michael woke up the next day, he had managed to convince himself that it had all been a really weird and stress induced dream. How likely was it that alternate universe Jeremy’s would be in _his_ universe of all places? Or, well, he had managed to convince himself of all that right up until he spotted the text sent from Sixer, who had somehow managed to get his number without him realizing.

Unknown Number: It’s Sixer. Let me know if you want anything for tomorrow!’

Okay, yeah, maybe it _was_ real...

Either way, he needed to update Jenna about what had happened with his Jeremy. Or at least, what he could feasibly know. Michael has been too tired, emotionally and mentally, to tell her yesterday.

Michael sat at his desk as he wrote up a text to her about what happened at Jeremy’s house, which was all he was supposed to know. Just for good measure though, he added in how he had a bad feeling about it and worries about how Jeremy would be when he came back. He checked over his long text before sending it and starting to get ready to go back to the old house. Why did he suggest eleven? He normally slept in until ten on the weekends if he could help it.

Jenna texted back just as Michael had finished getting dressed. He wandered over to his phone and read it over.

QueenJen: Im worried too no one has seen him since yesterday and he was supposed 2 call Brooke last night

Made sense with what he wasn’t supposed to know. Still, Michael frowned as he texted Jenna back.

ZagreYES: I mean he had an overnight bag but,,,,,, that doesn’t excuse him not calling, he always calls ppl when he promises to

QueenJen: even after getting the Squip

Yup, just as Michael though. He knew Jeremy had been ignoring his texts... Hold up, Mell, not the time.

QueenJen: u want me 2 come over???

ZagreYES: maybe later today, got stuff I’m doing with my moms that we already had planned

QueenJen: ok just lmk when! I’m free all day

ZagreYES: I will dw, have fun doing hw or hanging with ur awesome daddios

QueenJen: N E R D

Michael knew the text was sent with fondness.

He smiled and shut off his phone before grabbing the rest of his things. Okay, he just had to drive over and meet them. Oh, and grab something quick for breakfast. Okay, he could do this.

Michael felt his phone buzz in his pocket. A quick check revealed it to be Sixer.

Sixer: hey, don’t worry about breakfast. I’ve got you covered.

Michael’s eyes softened as he texted him a ‘thanks’ back before he hurried downstairs. “Mama, Ina, I’m heading out!” he called as he hurried to slip his shoes on.

"Where are you going, Michael?" Mama stuck her head out of the living room as he went past. "Have you had breakfast? Do you want me to make you something for the road?"

“Out to see Jenna, I haven’t, but we’re getting something while we’re out,” Michael answered while he grabbed his sneakers and started slipping them on.

Mama smiled, but there was a tinge of sadness in her eyes. “Well I’m glad you’ve got such a lovely friend. Jenna is very sweet,” she said with a hum, walking over and ruffling his hair affectionately. “You take care, and remember we’re having dinner together tonight.”

Michael nodded as he finished putting on his shoes. “I’ll see you later, Mama.Oh, do you need me to pick anything up on my way home later?”

"Can you grab some of those fava beans for Ina? She's had a craving again." She paused, then leaned in close. "You know she craved the same things just before we found we were having you?" she whispered, her eyes bright.

Michael knew Mama and Ina had been trying for another child and while Michael wasn't too keen on kids, he was excited and supportive of possibly getting a sibling. He knew how much it would mean to Mama and Ina, if nothing else.

“Well, I don’t know how often someone has the same cravings over multiple pregnancies,” Michael said teasingly. “Maybe I’ll look it up later.”

"Hey, I'm just stating facts here." Mama grinned. She kissed Michael's cheek before stepping back. "Let me know if you need anything, baby. I'll see you later."

“Thank you, Mama. Love you.” Michael kissed her cheek quickly before he left, hurrying to his car. He checked the time when his car started up. Okay, good, he’d get there just in time.

The drive over was simple, and he arrived exactly on time, as expected.The door was open just a crack, so Michael easily slipped into the not so abandoned house. The smell of fresh pancakes filled the air, and Michael was quickly reminded of the fact that he was starving.

“Get your butt in here, Michael, your stack is ready!” Sixer called.

Michael made his way in, a bit surprised to see the kitchen up and running. “Wh— How is your kitchen working?” he couldn’t help but ask as he looked at the skillet. How was this place getting electricity?

Sixer expertly flipped the last pancake onto the third stack. “I pulled some strings. It was pretty easy, honestly. Much less complicated than the stuff in my world.” He turned his attention away from the empty skillet and to the saucepan. In a practiced motion, he poured out three mugs of hot chocolate and brought them over to the table as well. “Net should be with us in a moment. He’s in the shower, and it’s a non-binder day, so he’s struggling a bit.”

So they were trans like Jeremy, which made sense. Net was, at least. “Okay. Does he have a sports bra or something to help?” Michael asked as he sat down where Sixer gestured for him to sit.

“Yeah, we got him a bra and I got the right size and everything.” Sixer hummed. “He’s lucky the sizing system is the same in the universe as it is in mine. I knew exactly what to get him.”

Michael hadn’t even thought about there being a difference in sizing charts. “Well that’s good. How... did you get everything?”

“Bought it.” Sixer hummed. “There’s no point in not supporting the local businesses and all that, even if we’re not local.” He looked at Michael after a moment. “I got the money by wiring myself some from a billionaire’s offshore account, by the way. I didn’t steal from anyone who couldn’t easily afford to support a life of luxury.”

Oh. Yeah, if Sixer was a hitman, it would make sense that he knew how to do that. “Okay, I was just wondering about the money part,” Michael admitted as he started to cut the pancake stack. He couldn’t help but watch the steam billow from it. “Also the electricity part.”

“Well, nothing over here is as complex or advanced as the tech the SQUIPs had back in my world, so his stuff was easy to hack.” Sixer shrugged, cutting into his own stack. “Easy and untraceable. And it means we get as much hot water as we like.”

“I needed that shower,” Net grumbled as he shuffled in. Despite being in fresh clothes and having clearly just gotten out the shower, he barely looked awake. He did light up when he saw Michael, though. “Michael! Oh, I didn’t realize the time. I’m so sorry for not being out when you arrived!”

Michael smiled and carefully waved his hand over at Net. “It’s fine, you had important things to do. Plus, I always arrive either early or on time,” he explained as Net rushed over and plopped himself down next to Michael.

“Still, I should know that! My Michael is the same.” He looked over the food before beaming at Sixer. “Thank you for breakfast! You didn’t have to make hot chocolate too.”

“Yeah, but I wanted to,” Sixer casually said. “You both had a hard day yesterday. I thought something nice would help set you up right for today.”

Michael’s eyes softened as he tugged his mug just a bit closer. “Well, you had a hard day yesterday too,” he pointed out before forking his bite of pancakes. They were perfect, not too doughy or hot. Just perfectly light and fluffy.

“Yesterday was fine for me. I’ve dealt with worse by far. But you found out about alternate universes, and Net had to deal with a projection again,” Sixer pointed out. “I’m the oldest here. Let me take care of you both and just hush up about it.” There was something soft and teasing in his tone that brought a small smile to Michael’s face.

Michael cut and forked himself another bite. “Yeah, well I’m still Michael so that means I’m going to worry about the people I care about, so accept it,” he said before eating his bite. Mm.

Sizer sighed dramatically and rolled his eyes. “I guess some things never change.”

“Nope,” Net agreed, already digging into his pancakes enthusiastically. “But Sixer is all of Jeremys’s want to protect give the strength and power to actually do it. So he’s like— like _double_ of either of us in taking care and fussing.”

“Well I’ll just have to double my efforts to want to take care of you guys,” Michael said before eating some more. When Sixer opened his mouth, Michael gave him a pointed look. “I’ll do it. Don’t test me.”

Instead of responding, Sixer just giggled and ate some more of his breakfast. Wow, he got a hitman to _giggle_ adorably. Wait... Sixer never said he was a hitman, did he, or did Michael just assume that?

“Sixer, you said you‘re from a universe where the SQUIP was a hitman organization. Are you a hitman too?” Michael asked. He had to be sure. The scars and his disposition and him having a gun to his head probably meant he didn’t have to ask, but he wanted to check.

“Former, but yes.” Sixer nodded seriously. “Myself and another one who also survived the organization shutting down have been taking some side jobs in that we deal with any leftovers from the SQUIP,” he explained with a hum. “Officially, I’m the more ‘stay-at-home husband’ who works at the animal shelter.”

Oh god, that was secretly adorable. Well, not-so-secretly, but still. “What does your version of me do if you’re the at-home husband?” Michael asked as he took a sip of the hot chocolate— That was amazing, holy shit.

“He was working part time at the roller rink and arcade, but now he’s completed his college degree and he’s working as an environmental engineer for the local government,” Sixer replied so proudly, getting a soft, dreamy look in his eyes. “He’s been helping so many people by reducing pollution in our area and helping to establish more community gardens, including some that grow food.”

Wow. That was... so impressive. A version of himself could be that successful? Michael didn’t even know what he wanted to do yet once he got into college. “He sounds like a keeper,” Michael said with a small smile.

Sixer hummed and nodded, letting out a dreamy sigh. “He’s amazing. I’m really lucky,” he agreed.

Net giggled at that. “I think we all are, having someone like Michael in our lives.” He took a bite of his pancakes. “Every version of Michael I’ve known or seen has been committed to doing the right thing, even when it’s hard. He’s the most human out of just about any of us, even when he’s not _actually_ human.”

Oh wow. That was an unintentional intense amount of pressure. “That’s crazy,” Michael lamely said before eating a bite of pancake. Granted, he was trying to do the right thing by helping them all out, but being the most human? He wasn’t even sure he did that. He couldn’t even notice when he was hurting his best friend instead of helping him.

“Stop that, Michael,” Net scolded. “You’re overthinking and I can hear it across the table.” He pouted at Michael. “Being human means making mistakes. But it also means choosing to do the right thing and not letting your mistakes define you.”

“Being human means growing and changing, even when it’s hard,” Sixer agreed quietly. “God knows I’ve had a time in my life, and I wouldn’t be half the man I am today without him and his support.”

Michael stared between the two of them for a good few seconds. “How did you know what I was thinking? I didn’t say anything out loud, did I?”

“No,” they both said at the same time.

Sixer was the one to continue. “But we’ve both had as much experience with our versions of Michael as your Jeremy has had with you. In the end, we know you just as well, to a point. Which means we also know when you’re thinking bad of yourself.” He smiled softly. “Don’t overthink it. Everything we just said was what you do naturally. It’s in your nature, and I’m proud of you. And I’ve got almost ten years more experience than you do, too.”

Michael stared at Sixer for a moment. A few different thoughts crossed his mind, like how they barely knew him specifically or that they were being too nice, but he ignored them for now. He was supposed to be there to help. “Thanks,” was all he said in response before he continued eating his pancakes. He could have a mini-crisis comparing himself to other iterations of himself later.

Net hesitated, then he reached over and took Michael’s free hand. “You know you’re just as good as any of the others, right?” he asked softly, his voice earnest. “The only difference between you and them are your experiences, and they have already been through their Squip crisis. You’re going through it. And it’s hard, just like it was for any of them. And you’ll grow into someone you didn’t realize was already inside you.”

God damn, was he really that easy to read? Regardless, Michael gave Net the best smile he could as he squeezed his hand back. “Thanks.” He didn’t want the topic to stay on him. What was going on was bigger than himself right now.

“So, we’re doing a raid still? When?”

“Hopefully, tomorrow. The guards are more relaxed on Sunday, so we should be good to slip in unnoticed.” Sixer switched into business mode so quickly that Michael almost got whiplash from it. “We’ll be going in and out in the space of five hours, max. And that includes the drive to and from the facility.”

Michael managed a nod as he didn’t really feel that hungry anymore. “So today’s a planning day then?”

“More of a training day,” Sixer corrected. “You and Net are not prepared for what’s about to go down. You’ll need to have at least some basic training.”

Basic training? “What kind of training do you mean?” No way they were gonna be fighting anything, right? He was a lazy gamer who preferred to sit out exercise when he could, which probably wasn’t the best for his health.

"Stealth and beyond that, learning how to use your abilities—" Sixer nodded to Net. "Properly and to their full capacity." Okay good. "Also some basic combat training, just in case."

Oh geez. Michael had no idea if he could even stealth, let alone complete any combat training. “How long will that take?”

“Depends.” Sixer smiled. It was somehow predatory and dangerous and also extremely attractive. Michael mentally smacked himself. He needed to stop those sort of thoughts. “But I won’t keep you more than a few hours.”

Michael nodded appreciatively. “I need to pick up some stuff on the way home anyway, and I’m having dinner with my moms tonight,” he explained as he started to push the last bits of his pancake around with his fork.

Sixer noticed and instead of calling him out on it, he stood up and picked up the other two plates, almost grabbing Michael’s but waiting for his go-ahead.

Michael nodded and let go of his fork. “Thanks,” he said before looking over at Net. “Uh, what powers do you have to hone?”

Sixer took his plate and shot Net a worried look as he left. Net didn’t notice, and he just tugged on a string on his cardigan nervously. “I’m, er, a puppet master, I guess?” he offered. “Like, that was what I was made into by my SQUIP. Sort of.”

Huh. “So you can control others then?”

“In a way.” Net nodded. “But I’m also linked to my SQUIP too. They... they’ve had a long time to establish the connection. It’s only because of Sixer that I don’t still... _belong_ to them.”

Michael’s eyes softened as he offered a hand for Net to hold. “Well, I’ll help to make sure you never belong to them again.”

Net took it and squeezed. “Thanks. But it’s not so simple. I’m not... human, exactly. I’m closer to what that SQUIP is now, thanks to all the upgrades it’s made to me over this past year. Which means I’m easily controlled by them.” He sighed and leaned against Michael. “Like they did yesterday. Sometimes they can just reach out and get a hold of me. It’s scary.”

“You’re still human, just manipulated with some demon magic,” Michael said as he interlocked their fingers. “What happened yesterday was scary, but you’re still you. We’ll drain SQUIP’s power so they have less control over you until they’re entirely gone from you and your Michael.”

“Thanks, Michael,” Net said. Sixer came back into the room and smiled.

“Ready? Also, Michael, are you okay to be the subject for Net’s practice? I... wouldn’t be such a good subject.”

Michael looked over at Sixer, confused by the implications. He nodded regardless. “Yeah, sure.” Not like he didn’t trust Net, though he remembered yesterday where he couldn’t control himself when his hands were brought above his head and he felt that weird tug in his gut.

“Okay, good.” Sixer nodded. “Let’s go then. We should be okay to start now. Power practice before lunch, then stealth training after.”

“Okay!” Net nodded too, climbing to his feet. He squeezed Michael’s hand, not letting him go.

Michael smiles back at Net as he stood up as well. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

  
  


———

  
  


“Okay, Net, now _relax_. Your body knows what to do,” Sixer assured. Net took a breath and closed his eyes, holding up his hands. “Michael, are you ready for Net to do this?”

Even if he still wasn’t sure what Net was going to be doing, Michael nodded. “As ready as I can be.”

Sixer nodded. “Okay. Net, remember, this is you in control. No one else. Start whenever you’re ready.”

For a second, nothing happened. Then, Michael felt a tugging sensation in his gut and around his arms. They raised up and out to the sides and it suddenly was like he couldn’t move. Like he was suspended by strings. And when Net twitched his fingers, his arms lowered but the sensation and paralysis didn’t fade.

Michael could glance around, thankfully, but he couldn’t really move any part of himself, not even his head. Sixer didn’t look worried, so Michael figures he didn’t need to worry either. Still, not being able to move anything, even if he trusted Net, made his gut churn and he was sure his body would have been tense if he wasn’t basically paralyzed.

Net moved his hands around like a puppet master moved his marionette, and Michael found that his body moved easily. He walked around her room, hopped onto and off of a box, and even sat down in a chair, all without his own input or without making a sound.

After he sat down in the chair, Michael had to close his eyes. Moving around without actually doing it himself was messing with his head and his stomach in a weird way. He wanted to help Net, but he couldn’t watch all of this happen.

As soon as he closed his eyes, though, he felt movement return to his body and Net cried out, panting harshly.

“Hey, it’s okay, Net. You did great,” Sixer soothed.

Michael instantly got up, opened his eyes, and went over to Net. Did him closing his eyes really affect Net? “You did a great job,” Michael echoed as he knelt down next to Net, who was now on his knees.

Net was struggling to keep his breathing under control, but he shot Michael a tired, shaky smile. “Th—thanks.”

He nodded, even as his stomach got a bit upset at the action. “Of course.” Michael gently rubbed his back and felt Net relax under his touch.

Sixer helped Michael into the plush armchair nearby and Michael nearly melted into it.

"Are you okay, Michael?" Net asked softly.

“Sort of. That whole thing just made my stomach churn. You didn’t, but your powers and watching me move around without doing anything did, I guess,” Michael admitted as he tried to relax. “I’m not upset or mad or anything at you, but I guess those powers have this effect on me?”

“I guess so.” Net nodded. He looked a little pale, but otherwise okay so that was good.

“I think it might be more like motion sickness or something,” Sixer offered. “Cognitive dissonance from your brain and body not acting as one.”

Yeah, that made sense. “Yeah, okay. I tend to get motion sick too if someone is driving on the hilly roads and they aren’t a basically perfect driver,” Michael explained as he swallowed a few times.

“Yeah. My Michael is a bit more resilient than that. But only because of some of the stuff we went though, before that he was terrible if anyone else drove even down a straight street.” Sixer chuckled fondly. “He’a developed a bit of a stronger stomach since then.”

Michael managed a weak laugh. “Yeah, sounds like me as a kid if anyone but Ina drove,” he admitted.

“He never let me drive,” Sixer said. “And he was so protective of his car. That damn cherry red Cruiser.” He snorted and shook his head. “It was just about to go into the shop when we were taken. He’s getting the whole of the engine, transmission and gearbox changed to a newer model. So it’ll still be the Cruiser, but it’ll have the latest internals.”

“I didn’t know your Michael had a Cruiser too,” Net added, even if his voice was weak. “Mine does as well. He hasn’t driven it for ages, because of... everything. But it's still in his mom’s garage.”

Michael raised a brow as he shifted a bit. “I guess it’s a universal thing for Michael Mell to have, if possible, a PT Cruiser,” he said around a weak laugh.

“I mean, it makes sense. It’s a nerd car,” Sixer teased while poking Michael’s arm.

“What? No! It’s an amazing car,” Michael defended with a pout. Both Sixer and Net laughed at that, but it was a warm, fond sort of laughter. The sort of laughter that made Michael’s insides twist happily and his eyes light up with joy.

Michael smiled as he sat back a bit more. “Yeah, it’s an awesome car. Also it’s probably the one that’ll be driving us around. Don’t badmouth it.”

“Okay, okay. It’s a good car.”

Sixer held up his hands in defeat. “I’ll behave,” he conceded. Net giggled at that, and Michael noted that there was color starting to return to his cheeks.

Wow, Michael hadn’t even been trying to cheer Net up. Unintentional success? Yeah. Sixer definitely helped, and Michael was starting to feel a bit better himself. Still not great, but better.

“Well, while you two recover from that, I’m gonna start warming up. I’ll be your practice dummy for the training drills I’ll be running you through, so I‘ll need to be at my best.” Sixer stood and took off his suit jacket, throwing it precisely to hang on the back of a chair. He then started stretching while in just his slacks, button up, waistcoat and tie. How he could move in that level of fancy clothing was a mystery, but he was somehow managing it and making it look good.

Michael watched Sixer stretch for a bit longer than he should have before looking at Net. “Hey, how are you feeling?” he asked before patting for Net to sit down beside him on the seat.

Net shifted over to Michael’s chair quite quickly upon receiving the invitation, curling against Michael with a happy sigh. “Better. And I’m glad I didn’t do something wrong and hurt you by accident,” he admitted. “I have these powers, but using them is hard since it makes me feel like... them. That’s what they did to me, back when they were still in the cabinet. It’s why I’m called Net. It’s short for Marionette.”

Made sense. Michael shifted his arms and wrapped one loosely around Net’s waist. “Well, you’re not using them for the same reasons your SQUIP would. You’re honing them to help others, not to truly control anyone and use them,” he pointed out as he shut his eyes. Yeah, that helped with the slight sourness that was still lingering in his stomach.

Net nuzzled closer and sighed happily. “Yeah. That’s why I am willing to at least try...” He paused. Then, so softly and sadly, he whispered something that almost broke Michael’s heart. “I’ve missed being held like this.”

Well that just wouldn’t do. “I’ll do it so much from now on that you might even get sick of it,” Michael promised as he rested his head against Net’s, as he shifted it to rest against Michael’s shoulder.

Net melted against Michael at that. “Thank you,” he murmured. “It’s been ages since I’ve been just... taken care of. You and Sixer have really made a difference already. Especially Sixer. He’s been like a big brother almost, even if he’s just a different version of me.”

“Since your Michael can’t help right now, I’m gonna take over his duties and double down on them. Or would it be doubling it up or just doubling it? Either way, I’m helping.”

Net giggled and snuggled closer. “You’re sweet. And you’re just like him, the closest to the Michael I grew up knowing that I’ve seen.” He paused. “That’s a compliment, by the way. I went into the haunted video game to save him. And he went back in after he got out to save me. And he fought me without beating me when I was in Boss Mode.”

Michael’s eyes softened as he gave Net a gentle squeeze. “I figured it was a compliment, but thank you for the elaboration,” he said. “You guys sound like you really care for each other, literally going through what was probably literal hell for each other.”

“I love him so much,” Net agreed. “He’s my best friend as much as anything else. Though, I can’t really say I know what it’s like to be his boyfriend,” he added somewhat bitterly, trailing off to silence.

“You’ll learn what it’s like after we basically exorcise the SQUIP out of him,” Michael promised. If all the other Michaels had basically helped to get rid of their own SQUIP, he could do it too. He had to, even if it overlapped with other SQUIPs at the same time.

“Yeah, I guess.” Net was quiet for a moment before he squeezed Michael gently. “Thanks Michael. You’re really smart.”

Michael laughed. “I’m not as smart as Chloe Valentine or Jenna, but thanks. I appreciate that.”

“Jenna is great.” Sixer laughed as he came over. “I’m really close with Chloe in my universe, she was my handler, and Jenna and I go way back. She and her brother are part of the reason I got out of the hitman business in the first place. Oh, handler is the person who would directly give me missions and deal with any issues I had personally or with the job.”

Woah, what? Well, Jenna was very ingenious and got lots of information in ways Michael couldn’t even comprehend, hence her being smarter than him. “I’m not close with Chloe, but I’m pretty sure she’s going to be the valedictorian when we graduate.”  
  
“She was in my universe.” Net added softly. “I know her pretty well, but only because Brooke and Christine are dating and Chloe comes along to any gatherings we have.”

Wait, Christine and Brooke? “I... never thought about those two dating,” Michael admitted. “They don’t seem like they’d ever even talk to each other.”

“Chrissy and Brooke are together in my universe too.” Sixer grinned fondly. “My Michael set up their first date with Rich’s help.”

“Wait, your Rich is nice?” Net asked, shocked. Sixer shrugged.

“Yeah, he and my Michael and I became friends... start of junior year? A few months before I was taken by the SQUIPs. And then he and my Michael became best friends, even lived together with Brooke. He’s now married to one of my best friends, Jake.”

“As in Jake Dillinger? He’s gay?” Net asked.

“No, they’re both bi. No, wait, Jake is pan? I think?”

Michael couldn’t help but stare in shock between the both of them. “I do not get how any of that could possibly happen, but I’m just going to accept this crazy, insane information and move on. Is that cool?” Yeah, his Jake seemed nice but he was friends with Rich, who sucked. But he had a SQUIP... Still didn’t excuse his toxic behavior, but Rich was more understandable now.

Michael decided to set aside the whole ‘how much control do these SQUIPs have’ debate for a later time. Right now, they had training to do.

“Okay, you two. Soft time is over. Time to learn how to throw a punch.” Yup. Time for physical exercise. Great.


	5. The First Rescue Mission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Lovelies, Mara here! So this chapter is looking *great* for our band of misfits. They're planning to raid what's likely a highly protected facility with one former hitman and two out of shape nerds, one of which is scared of the powers they do have. Not the best combo, right? But who knows, maybe they'll manage it somehow. After all, Michael is always the hero, right?
> 
> And now, a word from my favourite person, Ari
> 
> Hey guys, Ari here!  
> Hope you’re all doing well because these guys sure aren’t. You’ll see what I mean when I read. Thankfully, there are some ups, but it’s still a bit rough.  
> Enjoy!

After an hour drive to the facility in Newark, Michael was feeling less than ready for this mission. He had pretty much managed to master the basic skills Sixer had shown him, and Net had at least decent control over his powers, but this was still a lot. This was basically a government-level facility in terms of security. Someone doesn’t just break into facilities like this.

“Okay, everyone stay close and stay low,” Sixer whispered as they all peered at the door, which only had two guards on it. “I want you both on my tail the moment they’re both taken out, okay? We don’t know how long we’ll have to get these guys out.”

Michael nodded, and he saw Net do the same in his peripheral vision. “We’ll be quick as we can be,” he told Sixer. At least there were only two guards outside the building.

Sixer nodded and rolled his shoulders. He huffed as he stood up from their hiding spot and slipped on the Venetian style mask they had bought on the way over. “This would be so much easier if I could just kill them.” He grumbled as he walked over to the guards. He didn’t give Michael or Net a chance to question him before he was gone.

Michael wasn’t quite sure how the next few seconds proceeded. One minute, Sixer was flagging down the guards, his tone friendly and cheerful. The next, both guards were on the floor, groaning in pain. Sixer made sure to apparently disable their legs somehow and destroy their radios before he waved Michael and Net over.

“What just happened?” Net asked in awe as he and Michael slowly stood. “I had no idea I had the potential to be such a badass.”

From what Michael knew, a lot of pain, suffering, and trauma helped Sixer to get so badass. “You’re badass just the way you are, Net,” Michael assured him before hurrying over to Sixer with him. He ignored the pained groans and whimpers from the guards, trying his best not to look at them as Sixer finished unlocking the door.

“Don’t worry, it won’t do any permanent damage,” Sixer cheerfully stated as he inputted a code into the door lock. “And they’ll be knocked out in a few minutes once the neurotoxins take effect. They won’t remember a thing, and they won’t be in any pain either.” Okay, as cool as Sixer was, this was just a little creepy. He seemed a bit too happy about all this. Add that to the list of things to talk about with him later.

God, he was sure that after all this, Michael would at least be traumatized. “Okay, good to know, I guess,” Michael said before Sixer held the door open. Before Sixer could say a thing, Michael took the door from him and gestured his arm for both of them. “After you two.”

Sixer rolled his eyes with a soft grin before heading inside. Net beamed up at Michael and followed after Sixer nervously.

“Okay, the holding chambers should be just through the artifact room. We should be in and out in a few minutes, hopefully,” Sixer whispered, pulling out a pistol which Michael knew was filled with knock out darts, but it still made him nervous as fuck.

“Are you okay, Sixer?” Net asked softly. “You seem out of it.”

“I’m just glad for some normality in this situation, even if I don’t like what we’re doing.” Oh, well that made sense. Even if it sucked, this was something Sixer was used to. That’s why he was so cheerful. Still didn’t help the churning in his gut at his cheerfulness, but it explained it.

“Well, like you said, we’ll be in-and-out,” Michael echoed with a nod.

“Yup, that’s the plan.” Sixer went silent for a moment before pulling out... something and offering it to Michael. “It’s a butterscotch hard candy. It helps me when my anxiety spikes.”

Michael stared at it before taking it. Did he like butterscotch hard candy? He quickly unwrapped it and tried it. Wasn’t the best flavor, but it was still good. “Thanks.” Sixer shot him a small smile before they continued on.

The corridor opened up into a large room filled with pedestals scattered around, each with seemingly random items. There were two per section, and most had identical objects on them. Some had only one item, but they all had plaques and descriptions.

“Fan out around here. See if anything seems important. Maybe we can help isolate anything useful for the SQUIPs and get it away from them,” Sixer instructed, his eyes darting over the different pedestals.

Michael nodded, and Net still seemed to linger nearby to him as he started to look at the items and plaques. What was the purpose of these? Were they trophies? He quickly read one plaque and his questions were answered.

‘Power Source from universe 749A—Queen installation failure,’ the plaque read. ‘Replica power source prototype. Further schematics in development.’

“They’re... learning from the other universes. And using the things from there to power themselves up,” Net whispered, horrified. “These are like power pellets in Pac-Man. They’re making themselves the strongest versions to exist.”

Michael had to take a moment to collect himself as he pointed to the seemingly normal bandana on display. “They’re getting it from a simple bandana? How are they able to use these as power-ups?”

“I think they’re tied to how each SQUIP was beaten,” Net offered, peering at what looked to be a normal music box, with a replica sitting on the stand next to it. “They’re using them to learn, maybe just from the story surrounding the objects.”

Michael was going to offer another rebuttal when he heard Sixer cry out in shock and fear. Looking over, he saw the older man on the ground, seemingly having tripped as he scrambled backwards from a pillar with a simple wooden mask sitting on it. There was no second mask though, only one.

Michael hurried over until he couldn’t help but stop and stare at the mask. Wait, why did it look so familiar—“Is that the mask from the movie ‘The Mask’?” he couldn’t help but ask as he went over to the pedestal. Upon closer inspection Michael knew that yup, it was just that, and he quickly read the plaque over.

‘Mask from current universe,’ it read. ‘Counterpart was integral in SQUIP downfall in universe 9051. Unable to access powers as of yet.’

“I—I forgot there was a movie about it in some universes.” Sixer muttered as he stood up and shakily stepped towards the mask. His eyes were fixated on it, filled with equal parts longing and fear. “Karl did mention that one time, didn’t he? Goddamnit, I thought we were done.”

Michael looked back at Sixer and he quickly put the pieces together. “Wait, your universe is like a mafia _and_ Mask situation? What?” He looked back at the mask on the pedestal before thinking and quickly checking to see if there were any sensors.

He couldn’t see any, but he wasn’t certain. Before he could ask, though, Sixer reached out and snatched the mask up. He tucked it inside his suit jacket, not making eye contact. “This is too dangerous to leave anywhere. And as for mafia and mask, well yours is clearly at least mask-friendly.” He sounded strained. “Trust me, you don’t want to even touch this thing. It’ll ruin your life in more ways than you know.”

Michael didn’t doubt what Sixer said, so he just nodded and pulled his hand back. “Well, let’s see if we can find anything else possibly useful,” he offered before looking to Net for backup.

Net was standing by another pedestal, looking at what seemed to be a control panel for an arcade machine. The joystick and buttons were missing the decorative coloring, but Michael could quite easily recognize what it was.

Oh. Michael quickly made his way over, hovering for a moment before resting his hand on Net’s shoulder. Thankfully, he didn’t jump or flinch. “This was from your universe?”

Net just stared at it and nodded mutely. It didn’t look like it was the main controls, there were a couple of buttons missing, so Net must have been Player Two.

Just like Michael’s Jeremy.

He shook off the thought and instead squeezed Net’s shoulder comfortingly. It seemed to startle Net out of his daze.

“It’s just... a lot. Seeing it here. We had to sort of rig it up to work this and I—... Yeah.” His voice was hoarse and weak, but present. That was a good start.

Michael hummed in understanding. “Well, the game part is done. We’re one step closer to stopping your SQUIP for good,” he reminded Net as he squeezed Net’s shoulder again.

Net nodded, then again more firmly. “Yeah. We’ll stop them and get my Michael back,” he agreed. “Do we have everything else we need from here?”

“Yes,” Sixer said as he walked over, “Let’s go free the others who are here.”

As he looked at Sixer, Michael silently asked, “Are you okay?” while offering a free hand to him. He seemed better, but there were still hints of fear in his eyes.

Sixer hesitated, then shook his head. He still took Michael’s hand, though, and squeezed it. Despite his face being covered in scars and looking (as well as being) so much older, Michael could read it as easily as if this were his Jeremy. Sixer wasn’t just scared, he was shaken to his core, but he’d be okay with time to process. That was the main thing.

Michael took the lead then, walking into the stasis room connected. He was surprised by the lack of security, but he accepted it and their luck for now as he took in the room.

It was quite sterile with vertical tube tanks lining the walls. The room was mostly a hospital-like white with lines of neon blue lining the wall, connecting the tubes to a central core in the center of the room’s ceiling. The lines sent pulses of light to the core in a creepy, leech-like manner.

Inside each tube was a slime-like goo, it seemed. The color was a pale light blue that, in some, held a suspended individual. On each tube was a plaque that probably said which universe the person suspended in the goo, in a coma was from.

It took a moment for Michael to realize who the two people were. One was a Jeremy, but one of them... one of them was a copy of him. Okay, this was freaky.

Net didn’t seem phased by the sight before them and instead just walked over to a control panel next to the first tube.

“Sixer, Michael, there are some towels off in the cupboard over there.” He nodded to the side. “Go get them out and get ready. These two will need them.”

“Yeah, okay.” Michael hurried over to the cupboard, handing some towels to Sixer before taking some himself. “Why aren’t there more here? Is this, like, a newer branch or something?” Not that he wasn’t thankful. He couldn’t comfortably fit more than five in his Cruiser without safety concerns.

“They can’t afford to have too many of them running in one place,” Net explained as he started to type things out on the control panel for the second tube. Michael noted that the first one was being drained of goo already. “They take a lot of energy to keep everyone in suspended animation, if they have too many in one place, it’ll raise questions. Most of the group is over at SQUIP HQ, where— where Host is.”

Michael hummed before looking at Sixer. “You were at this facility before, right?”

“Yeah, that’s how I knew where it was.” Sixer nodded. “The others we’ll grab while we’re here.” He fiddled with the towel for a minute before looking up at the tube. “Okay, here we go. You want the version of you or the version of me?”

After looking between the two tubes, Michael looked at the Jeremy that was almost free of the goo. “I think the version of you. Seeing myself when waking up would freak me out.”

“Good point.” Sixer nodded before positioning himself in front of the tube with the Michael clone.

Michael took a few deep breaths before getting settled by the tube, watching as the top slowly opened. He had the towels ready, but he looked over the Jeremy in there. He had white hair and overall had this... moon vibe. Michael didn’t know how, but he carried it.

He shook off the thought as both tubes started letting out a low buzzing sound. What happened next, Michael could only compare to the First Pokémon movie when all of Mewtoo’s clones were released from their tubes. Both boys slipped down their respective tubes and into the lower part of them. Then, they slid slowly out of a hidden door and onto the floor, eyes still closed as they coughed and spluttered.

Sixer was the first to react, kneeling down and scooping up the Michael double into his arms and wrapping him in a towel, using the other one to clean him off.

Michael quickly mimicked Sixer with his Jeremy, carefully starting to clean him up. Oh god, the goo felt so weird. It didn’t and didn’t feel like slime, and it felt good and oh so awful at the same time. He tried to keep his hand completely covered with the towel as he dried off his Jeremy double (Triplet? Quadruplet?).

The paler version of Jeremy (seriously, how could Jeremy get any more pale?) groaned and his eyes fluttered open. Michael noted that they were an ethereal silver, and that he actually seemed a few years older than him.

“Michael?” the pale Jeremy asked slowly, squinting and rubbing his eyes. Then he gasped. “No wait, not _my_ Michael.” He focused on Michael properly. “You’re much too young. And too human.”

Okay, so this Jeremy probably wasn’t human, at least not fully. “No, I’m not him. We’re gonna get you out of here and someplace safe,” Michael said as he kept gently cleaning this pale Jeremy off.

He smiled up at Michael, his gaze tender. “Same as ever, no matter what version of you I find.” He sighed, struggling a little before he managed to sit up. After glancing around at everyone else, he nodded. “You can call me Moon, or Buwan, if you prefer. Whichever works for me.”

Michael nodded as he wiped the goop off Moon’s clothes. “Okay, Moon,” he said before ruffling his hair dry.

“Thank you, Michael,” Moon murmured. “Here, let me help.” He held up his hand and closed it. The slime dried up instantly, making it easier to brush off and much less gross to touch.

Oh wow, okay. “Thanks,” he murmured back before quickly drying him off. “Are you, like, the actual moon in your universe or something?”

“Yup.” Moon nodded. “Or the current incarnation of it. Though I do remember all the others too, so make of that what you will.”

Michael stared at Moon for a minute, pausing in his cleaning. “Wait, do you know _all_ the iterations of us?”

“Sort of,” said Moon. “I have a vague sense of the other versions of me, and of you. And I remember all my past lives as the Moon as clear as day.” He chuckled at that. “But I suppose yes, I do sort of know all the Others.”

Woah. “Are you sure I shouldn’t be calling you as an all-seeing being or something?” Michael joked as he helped finish cleaning off Moon and helped him stand up.

Moon snorted. “No. I only know about everyone else because—“ He paused. “Actually, I’ll tell you later. Those two will want to hear it too. Plus, I think that the other you could use some help.” Moon looked over to Sixer and the other Michael, who was talking slowly and with a heavy accent that Michael couldn’t place. There was something inhuman about that Michael, like something was just... off. But it wasn’t in a bad way, just strange. Plus, that was his face. It was weird seeing outside of pictures and a mirror.

Michael just nodded as he stood as well and hovered awkwardly nearby Sixer and the other Michael. He didn’t want to freak the other him out. Even if he didn’t just wake up, he was a bit wigged out by seeing himself.

“Where is my Jeremy?” the other Michael asked frantically. “He was on our ship, then gone. Why do you look like him?” he urgently asked Sixer.

Moon made some clicking sound and the other Michael looked over. Then he gasped and his pupils dilated instantly. He made a few clicks before talking in a strange language, which Moon nodded to and replied in kind.

Sixer just gave Michael a quick shrug as Moon and this other Michael talked in the odd language. It wasn’t similar to anything Michael had heard of before. What was this other Michael? He had mentioned a ship, and Moon could talk to him... Maybe he was a sea creature of some kind, perhaps a mythical one?

Moon seemed to ask a question, and the other Michael nodded and seemed to relax.

“We can call him Siren for now, as that is what he is,” Moon said in English after a moment. “I’ll take care of him, since he needs to stay hydrated. I can help him with that.”

“A siren?” Sixer asked, his eyes going wide. “Wow.”

Michael was stunned to silence for a moment as well before nodding. "Okay. Wow. That makes a lot of sense," he murmured before giving Siren (god, it was still so freaky to see himself) a smile. Hopefully it was comforting and not creepy or eerie or weird.

Siren smiled back at Michael, his expression shy but relaxed. “It is nice to meet you... Michael.” He seemed to struggle with the name, making a face as he spoke, but he smiled after.

Michael relaxed a bit as he said, “It’s nice to meet you too, Siren. Also, if this is weird for you, you’re not alone, don’t worry.”

Siren giggled. It was a sort of musical sound as he nodded and looked at Moon. He said something in the strange language (was it his siren language?) before trying to stand up. Moon did the same and together, they managed to climb to their feet.

“We should go soon.” Net came over, looking at Moon strangely before shaking his head. “I don’t know how much longer the alarm will stay off for.”

“Yeah. Should we go out the same way we came, Sixer?” Michael asked as he looked at the ex-hitman.

“Yeah. The guards will be out by now. By the time they’re awake, we’ll be long gone.” Sixer offered his hand to Michael, helping him to his feet easily. “Moon, Siren, are you good to walk?”

Moon nodded while Siren hesitated. Siren looked to Moon and started speaking in his siren language to him as he raised a hand to Moon.

Moon took his hand, and they seemed to both shimmer for a moment. “He’ll be able to walk now,” Moon said with a nod. Siren nodded too.

After Siren slowly stood, they all made their way out. Thankfully, there weren’t any guards to stop them and the ones outside were out cold. Michael quickly got his keys out of his pocket and hurried a bit more to his car. What an easy in-and-out rescue.

Moon peered into the car before sighing. “Siren will need space, he’s never seen a car, and he’s not used to moving so fast.” Moon rubbed his eyes. Wait, when did he get his glasses? “I guess I’ve got to shrink. Who wants to take me?”

Net looked at Moon, then raised his hand. “I’ll look after you,” he promised. Moon smiled, then vanished in a puff of smoke. In his place, there was a small, white bunny.

Wait, a bunny? Michael stared in awe as Net carefully picked up the rabbit that was Moon. “Uh...” He looked at Siren who seemed a bit on-edge. “Want Net to sit back there with you?” As he asked, Michael gestured to Net. “I’m going to take us from here to my home.”

“Okay. And yes please.” Siren nodded. He was watching the car with distrust and caution, but he did smile at Michael. Michael tried to ignore the fact that Siren’s teeth were sharper than normal.

Michael nodded as he unlocked his car and slowly opened the back car door for Net, Moon, and Siren. “Here you go. I’ll go as slow as I can for you,” he promised before watching them go in. He helped Siren get comfortable in the car before shutting the door and getting in himself.

This was getting weirder by the minute, but at least they managed to rescue a couple of the missing Others. Michael just hoped the next raids would be just as successful and just as easy.


	6. Changes and Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, Ari here!  
> So, things are getting more intense. More people means more drama, danger, and information. Most of that is directed at Michael. Poor boy.  
> So there is a lot going on. Hopefully you guys will enjoy!
> 
> And now, a word from my lovely Mara. ❤️
> 
> Hey Lovelies! Mara here!  
> So like Ari said, lots more danger and drama. Specifically school based drama, because even if he's saving the multiverse, he still has to keep his grades up. And we get a bit more insight into what's happening and why things are the way they are.  
> Also, just want to point out that the characters you meet into the story aren't always from our posted stories. A lot of the characters here are ones we've planned out or just dreamed up but never wrote. That includes Siren and many more.  
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

After driving for an hour and a half back, Sixer practically forced Michael to go home. He needed to anyway, since his moms called him home and he had homework to do, but the gesture was very much appreciated. He needed a breather after everything that happened, some normalcy.

On Monday, Michael received a few texts from Sixer that things were going okay. Siren was occupying the bathtub most of the time and Moon was being wise and somewhat cryptic.

But right now, he needed to worry about school and Jeremy.

It was almost weird, going back to what was supposed to be normality after that... adventure on the weekend. In the space of a few days, Michal had learned about the existence of alternate universes, met alternate versions of his best friend, seen his best friend become possessed and launched a raid on what was basically a government facility.

How was he supposed to focus on school and drama?

And yet, as the day began, Michael found himself being drawn back into what he was used to. And that transition started with Jenna approaching him before he could even make it to her locker.

"Stick by me, nerd, we can't have you alone right now." She gently took Michael's arm, somehow appearing from nowhere. Michael jumped and internally cursed. Jenna could give Sixer a run for his money.

As she dragged him down the halls, Michael kept as best of a pace with Jenna as he looked at her. “Why can’t I be alone right now?”

“Because you’ve got a bounty on your head, honey,” she hissed. “Jeremy’s basically made you the next hottest target in the space of an hour.”

Michael’s eyes widened as he quickened his pace. “What? What did he say?”

“Simple, he said you’re trouble and he wants you taken down a peg.” Jenna grumbled. “It’s all anyone can talk about, and it’s all over social media. If you’re alone, you’re in trouble”.

Did the SQUIP know he was involved in yesterday’s raid? Did Host know? “Well, good to know,” Michael said with the best smile he could manage.

“Don’t think you can play it chill with me, Michael,” Jenna deadpanned, “I can see you’re terrified. Just talk to me. I want to help.”

Michael exhaled and said, “Well, yeah. How could I _not_ be terrified when my best friend basically put a school-wide hit on me?”

Jenna squeezed his arm gently before shooting a glare at some passing jocks, who quickly looked away. “Yeah, it’s... weird. Something is up with him. And Brooke too, they’re both acting so weird since Jeremy’s trip on Friday,” she said.

Oh no, not Brooke too. “You don’t think that he SQUIPed her, do you?”

“I think there is a good possibility,” Jenna replied grimly, stopping at her locker. “She’s head over heels for him, more so than before. But it feels fake, I can’t explain how.”

Michael nodded as he leaned against the locker next to hers. “Too much like puppy love?” he offered as Jenna opened her locker up.

“Something like that,” Jenna agreed. “Either way, they’ve come to rule the school overnight. Chloe’s been knocked off her pedestal.” She started digging through her books, grabbing a couple.

Oh shit. “How’s Chloe taking it? Not well, I’m guessing.” As he asked, Michael quickly sent Sixer a text about this update.

“I don’t think she’s realized it yet,” Jenna said as she closed her locker. “We’ll know when she has. I’m predicting meltdown on a mythic scale.”

Michael nodded as he sent the last text off. “Yeah, this school is gonna be turned upside down shortly.”

“Understatement. Chloe is about to end up in the losers club. Without Jake and Brooke backing her, she’s got nothing.”

His eyes softened. “Oh, do you think she’s gonna come crawling back to you?”

“Why would she? We’re not friends?” Jenna frowned. “Or at least, she never acted like a friend. Speaking of, who are you texting?”

“My moms,” Michael lied before pocketing his phone. “Also, Chloe may not be your friend, but you’re gonna be the only person who hasn’t denounced her and her popularity yet that was a part of that clique.”

“Maybe.” Jenna didn’t sound convinced. “Anyway, let’s get you to class. We don’t want to linger out here too long or I might have to get violent,” she teased.

Michael raised a brow as she shut and locked up her locker. “You? Well, you did say you took karate for a few years. What belt are you?” he asked as he walked with her to their homeroom.

“Black.” Jenna grinned. “And I might not practice officially anymore, but I’ve kept up my skills.”

“You’ve been training for this exact scenario, haven’t you? That was the purpose and sole reason behind getting your black belt.”

“Obviously,” Jenna deadpanned. Her eyes were twinkling with happiness. Well, that was one good thing that came out of this whole situation: Michael made a friend, who was sweet and fun and deserved to be happy.

Michael beamed as he held onto his backpack straps. “Wow, smart, talented, _and_ a psychic. I’m glad to have a friend like you.”

As she always did, Jenna lit up when Michael called her his friend. And, well, in the short time he’d know her, Jenna _had_ become Michael’s friend. Easily one of his best friends, online or otherwise. They just clicked.

Jenna paused, shooting Michael a fond smile. “Thanks, nerd.”

“Of course, Jenna. Now, what are we going to do about fourth period since we don’t share it?”

“That’s something I’m not one hundred percent certain on, but I’m working on it.”

  
  


———

  
  


Jenna did work on it and figure it out. Somehow, she managed to get Michael in her class with her for the duration of fourth period. He helped her with her journalism article as best he could before the bell rang for lunch.

“Okay, where are we hiding?” Michael asked as he walked out of the classroom with Jenna.

“I was thinking we go off campus for lunch since I managed to snag us some—“

“Oh, there you are, Jenna. I was wondering why it was so quiet around here.” Jeremy stepped out in front of Michael and Jenna, blocking their path. Though he was the shortest out of all of them, he was somehow still looking down at Michael and Jenna. “And Michael. Still haven’t taken up my offer? Did you at least consider it?”

Michael raised a brow as he looked at Jeremy. “I haven’t texted you or called you yet, have I? I think that tells you my answer,” he said as he stuck his hands into his hoodie pocket. “Is that all you wanted?” God, he seemed so different than he had over the hologram. Granted, he probably was all programmed up or whatever, but still. It hurt.

“No, I thought it was only fair to give you a warning. Y’know, because of our history.” He looked Michael over and wrinkled his nose in disgust for a second before continuing. “For every day you resist, one new person will be inducted. And for every day you stick your nose where it shouldn’t be, your life will get worse.”

Jenna stepped forward and glared at Jeremy. “Are you threatening him?” she demanded, looking pretty damn scary. Jeremy didn’t seem phased.

“Yes, I am. I want him to know that his actions have consequences.” He looked back at Michael seriously. “I’d recommend you consider your options very carefully, Michael. Or you might not make it to college to be cool in.”

Michael clenched and unclenched his hands a few times in his pocket as he did his best to keep calm. So Host knew. “You know, I love how you went from missing me to suddenly threatening my life. Certainly is a strange one-eighty. What happened at that appointment of yours?” he asked, trying to be as brave as he could right then.

“Only good things.” Jeremy smiled, but there was no warmth there. “And I do miss you, Michael. That’s why I’m doing this, to make sure you come to the right side.” Wait, there was a hint of Jeremy still in them. His expression flickered, just for a moment, to a sad sort of longing. Jeremy didn’t want this, but he was powerless to resist. “Just give it some thought. I really do want to be your friend again.” He turned. “I’ll see you later, Michael. Jenna.” He walked off without another word.

As Jeremy turned around a corner, Michael shuddered and looked at Jenna. He’d have to ask Sixer if he could tell her about everything. For now though... “So, you mentioned going off campus for lunch?”

“I— Yeah... and I’m thinking I pull out those green cards I’ve been holding,” Jenna muttered. “I think we could both use a ‘study period’ alone after that.”

Michael nodded as he quickly grabbed his keys from his backpack. “That’s an understatement, to say the least.”

No one even spared them a second glance as they left, but Michael couldn’t relax. School was about to become a hell of a lot more interesting and a hell of a lot more dangerous.

  
  


———

  
  


After dropping Jenna off at home after school, Michael sent a quick text to his moms that he’d be home around dinner time and that he was staying after to help Jenna with some work at school. He wished he could tell Jenna, but he wanted to do it when the others said it would be okay. This all was a lot to just drop on someone.

Speaking of the others, he parked outside the abandoned house near 7/11 and made his way over. Michael knocked on the door as a warning before making his way inside.

The house felt much more alive today, which was understandable, but still. Moon was sitting on the couch, reading a book while Net did the same in the arm chair, and Michael could hear Sixer in the side room, stretching and running himself through some drills by the sound of it.

“Oh, hello Michael.” Moon looked up at Michael with a small smile. Instantly, Net lit up and looked over too.

“Michael! Hi!” Net cheerfully said.

Sixer poked his head out of the side room. “Hey, Michael, I was wondering when you’d get here.”

Michael waved before shutting the door behind himself. “Hi. I had to drop Jenna off first,” he explained before toeing off his shoes. “I’m guessing things are going well for you guys? I didn’t get any updates today.”

“Yeah, we’re all doing fine,” Moon said and he nodded. “Everyone is getting settled, and Net even managed to set up some music upstairs for Siren.” Net beamed proudly before hopping up and going over to Michael. He shyly opened his arms, asking for a hug.

After today, he needed a hug. Michael quickly gave it to Net, holding him close as he relished in the affection. “That’s good,” he said as Net relaxed into the hug. “Nothing much has happened then? Did Sixer tell you guys about my updates?”

“I did,” Sixer replied grimly. “This is worse than any of us predicted. Every time a SQUIP has tried to turn us against each other, we’ve always managed to snap out of it, at least a little. This one clearly has a tight grip on your Jeremy.”

“But, that also means that as they lose power, their grip on your Jeremy will fade too. It’s already doing better than it was,” Moon quickly added.

Michael sighed and held on a little tighter to Net. “I know I’ll at least have Jenna. We can try to work quickly to stop this,” he offered as he tried to come up with ideas. Did Net know any other SQUIP locations? When would be the best time to raid?

Sixer walked in properly, and Michael noted that he was just in a button up and slacks this time, the waistcoat and jacket were gone. “We’re planning another raid Friday, if you’re available,” Sixer said with a hum. “We’ve got a location in New York for another base.”

He nodded before looking over everyone around. “Who’s going, and how many people are there? My car can only comfortably carry five, maybe seven if they stay in the trunk.”

“Same as before,” Sixer said. “Siren and Moon will stay here where it’s safe. And this is another small facility, so we should only be getting two or three more people anyway.”

Okay, good. “Someone may have to be in the trunk if it’s three,” Michael said before patting Net’s back as Net let go of the hug.

“We can work with that.” Sixer nodded. “Just so long as we can all get out of there.”

Net sighed before relaxing and standing up properly. He didn’t move far from Michael, though. Michael gave Net a smile before looking at Sixer. “Okay, so what’s the plan otherwise?”

“I’ll make my own way back. And I’ll bring whoever can’t make it with me,” Sixer said.

Oh, that was new. “From the base? Shouldn’t you all come in my car with me?”

“We will. That’s the backup plan if we don’t all fit.” Oh. That made more sense.

Michael nodded before leaning against the wall. “Uh... Should we talk about the SQUIP and its plan with me? Do you think it knows I was involved at the raid yesterday?”

“I don’t think so. Or at least, not yet.” Moon shook his head. “I think it was just threatening you to keep you controlled. After all, it’s from a Jeremy and a Michael teaming up and actually working together that every SQUIP has been beaten.”

“That’s happened every single time?” Michael asked with a raised brow before he slowly slid to sit down.

“Yeah, every time,” Moon said with a nod as Net sat down next to Michael, seemingly quite content. “Each time that I’ve seen or sensed, a Jeremy and a Michael have teamed up with the intention of beating their SQUIP, and even if one is incapacitated or even converted, the other has always saved them and they’ve beaten the SQUIP that way.”

“How have you always been able to sense that? Like, I get you’re the moon in your universe, but that just seems... like a lot for one person to be able to know?”

“Not always, no. It’s only been the last year?” Moon hummed in thought. “One of the Jeremy’s managed to reach out with... someone else’s power and beg for help. I was able to respond. Since then, I’ve had a good sense of the Others.” He paused before sighing. “And in fact, that’s part of why I wanted to talk to you all today.”

Oh. Sixer sat down and Net seemed to get a little nervous with how he tenses. Michael held out a hand to him and Net took it. “I’m guessing you have something big you wanna explain?” Michael posed.

“Yeah, I do.” Moon’s colors seemed to almost ripple, going between white and silver and the normal Jeremy colours that Michael knew and loved. It was a bit strange but somehow beautiful. “Host being able to reach through and do any of this is my fault.”

The air changed. A bit tenser, yes, but something else Michael couldn’t describe. Michael stepped up and asked, “It’s your fault? What do you mean?”

“I’m old. Older than this body, at least. And I...” Moon took a deep breath. “Ten thousand years ago, when my world was young, I came to the Earth. I made a friend and fell in love. He became my Bakunawa, my water dragon, and we were happy. Then, humans came and killed him. He promised me that we would be together again, and so I came to Earth in a human form and was reborn when my body died.”

Moon’s voice was quiet, and Michael was enthralled by the story. Something about the way Moon spoke just drew him in. “I was late to Awaken as the moon. For sixteen years, I was just Jeremy. And then my SQUIP tried to awaken me and take my power. I stopped him and became the Moon, and I realized why I had Awakened so late. My bakunawa, who I had waited ten thousand years to come back, had been born again at last. And he had found me when we were both children.”

He took a breath. “My Michael was the same boy as he was ten thousand years ago. He was the same person at heart, and we... and I couldn’t go for so long without him again. So we found a witch, the strongest one we knew, who could make a spell. Tie our souls together to make sure we always found each other. _That’s_ why it’s always Jeremys and Michaels. And it’s that connection that Host is using to reach out and grab us.”

Wait, so it was a magical bond that always made sure Jeremys and Michaels found each other? “How could Host have found that connection? Is there even a way to find it and use it?” Well, there had to be if Host was using it and they were in this situation, but all of this was a little confusing, especially after a tense day at school. Could another person’s magic in a different universe really expand across so many, and could said magic be manipulated by some other magic? Ugh.

“It couldn’t have happened. This should have been impossible. At least, until last year, when a Jeremy broadcast a cry for help and I answered. I crossed the universes thanks to the power of the spell, and the power he and I borrowed, to be able to revive his Michael,” Moon explained as he rubbed his eyes. His age was suddenly clear in his eyes with how tired he looked. “It broke down the barriers and meant that Host could find the trail and use it.”

Michael was quiet as he processed this. “There’s no way you could have known this would happen though. You were trying to help someone, a version of me. Even with how old and wise you are, there’s no way you could have the foresight to know all of this would go down,” he pointed out, glancing between Sixer and Net to gauge their reactions.

They both seemed to agree. Sixer’s face was hard to read, but Michael could see the understanding there. And Net, well he was looking haunted.

“Even so. I gave Host the capability to start this. And I’m sorry for that,” Moon murmured. “It could ruin so many lives, and all because I decided to be selfish.”

Michael shook his head. “You were selfish, maybe, but with good intentions. You were listening to someone’s plea to keep someone else from dying,” he explained as he stood up and walked over to Moon. “It sounds like you’re the one being the most hard on yourself here.”

“Perhaps. But when you’re as old as I am, you tend to take responsibility for stuff like this.” Moon chuckled bitterly.

“You do but it doesn’t mean you should. And hey, we’re already on our way to fixing things. Sometimes things get worse before they get better, right? That’s how the saying goes?” Michael glanced back between Sixer and Net for some backup as he offered his hand to Moon.

Moon hesitated, then took Michael’s hand and squeezed it. “Yeah, that’s how it goes.”

“And Michael’s right, Buwan,” Sixer offered after a moment, sitting on the couch with Moon. “No one blames you for what happened. You did what any of us would have done. You saved Michael, even if he wasn’t _your_ Michael. It’s totally understandable.”

Michael felt his heart race for a moment at the comment but he nodded before focusing on Net. Net was quiet, looking nervous to speak up but also not disagreeing with what was being said.

“I’ve been there,” he whispered after a moment. “As someone who has— who has actually died for his Michael, I’ve been there. And we all know if it came down to it... we’d make that choice again. You did nothing wrong, Moon.”

As his chest ached a bit, Michael offered his other free hand to Net. He gave the best smile he could, and he was glad that Net slowly came over and took the offered hand. “See?”

Moon shot Michael a weak smile. “Same as ever, I see. Good.” He squeezed Michael’s hand again. “We need more people like you in the world.”

While squeezing Moon’s hand back, Michael asked, “Am I really that similar to your Michael and the other Michaels?”

“Yes,” Moon replied instantly. Sixer and Net both nodded. “At your core, you’re all the same. Kind, loyal, and strong.”

Oh wow. Michael felt his cheeks warm up (though thank god for darker skin so it wasn’t visible). “I... I wanna argue, but thank you.”

“Don’t argue. Because it’s all true.” Sixer squeezed Michael’s shoulder with a smile. Net and Moon both nodded in agreement. “You’re awesome, Michael.”

“You’re saying that to a teenager with low self-esteem, you know. Thank you again though,” Michael said with a small smile.

Moon and Sixer both chuckled at that. Net looked more understanding though, probably because he was the only other teenager present.

“Alright, guys, I’m gonna head back and keep running drills. Net, make sure you finish processing the data by tonight, okay?” Sixer instructed as he stood up. Net looked up at him and saluted.

“Yes sir!” That got an eye roll from Sixer, but it was fond.

“Do you guys need anything else from me?” Michael asked as he slowly let go of Moon and Net’s hands, “Or should I head home?” He did still have homework he needed to do.

“We should be good, but you’re welcome to stay if you like,” Moon offered with a smile. He seemed less reluctant to let go of Michael’s hand than Net did.

Michael gave Net a reassuring smile. “Even during all this, I still have homework to do,” he said. “Plus I have a project I need to work on. Ugh.”

“Ugh, that sucks,” Net agreed. “Well, call us if you need anything, yeah? You have Sixer’s number.” Net looked around. “Wait, he’s gone already? When did he leave? I thought he’d want to say goodbye first.”

“It’s okay, Net. If anything, he’ll text it to me,” Michael assured Net before giving him a quick one-armed hug. “I’ll see you later.”

“See you later, Michael,” Net said, hugging him back.

After hugging Net, Michael got his backpack and quickly left. He waved at the two in the room once before going to his car.

Okay, so there was a lot going on in and out of school. So many combining elements Michael would need the rest of the day to fully process. He could do it, but it would tire him out.After all, a lot had happened today. His (possibly former?) best friend had put a bounty on his head, and he found out that he and Jeremy were somehow fated to be together. That would be a lot even if he didn’t have a crush on him before all this.

But he needed to push his feelings aside for now and more-so focus on the important elements: the bounty, saving the Others stuck here, and stopping Host and subsequently saving the whole multiverse of existence. Totally doable while also doing a big end-of-unit project in English.

After Michael got into his car, he took a few deep breaths before turning it on. Well, the least he could do was get some real progress done on his ‘The Scarlet Letter’ project.


	7. Bonding With Alternative Versions of Yourself and Your Best Friend Is... Trippy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Lovelies, Mara here! So this chapter has a bit of everything. Bonding, angst and some Michael & Michael friendships that we all deserve. Time for preparation for the next big raid! But also, people hurting and growing. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> And now a word from my wonderful Ari ❤️
> 
> Hey guys, Ari here!  
> So we have the calm before the (next) storm. It may be a bit unorthodox, but enjoy some bonding with multiple Jeremys and Michael. Yeah, this fic is a bit unorthodox too, but that’s why we love it.  
> Enjoy!

After a week of work, dread, and 7/11 visits, it was finally Friday. Michael’s gut was churning as he dropped Jenna off. “Hey, wanna hang out tomorrow?” he asked as he pulled up into her driveway.

“Sure.” She beamed. “Mine or yours?”

Michael paused in thought. “Uh, whichever is fine for me,” he admitted. He’d need to just chill after what was going to happen today.

“Sure. But are you okay, Michael?” Uh oh, Jenna was on to him. “You’re looking kinda out of it. Do you want me to come over? Maybe take care of you for a bit?”

He shook his head and gave the best smile he could. “Maybe tomorrow. I got a lot of stuff to do to help with family and everything today, hence why I asked if you wanted to hang tomorrow.” He didn’t over-explain himself, right?

“Uh huh.” Jenna didn’t sound convinced but she didn’t push either. “Okay then. Just let me know if you need me, yeah?”

Michael nodded and unlocked the car as he finally parked. “I will. See you tomorrow here or at my place?”

“I’ll text you.” Jenna shrugged before waving and heading inside. Michael thought he might have heard a few people greeting her, but he wasn’t sure.

Either way, Michael waved before she went inside and he text his moms that he’d be going to the library to do some homework and that he’d be back late. He pocketed his phone before getting out of park and backing out of Jenna’s driveway. Time for stress overload.

Michael sort of zoned out on his drive to the 7/11. Maybe because it was so familiar to him, or maybe it was him trying to prepare for the coming task. Either way, he arrived much too quickly. He needed more time to feel ready for this.

He decided to do that by getting himself a Slurpee and a greasy pizza slice. After sitting by his car and dabbing off the grease, Michael let himself slowly eat and drink. He didn’t really think about much except his homework, allowing for himself to think he was normal, living a normal life. It was a nice, brief fantasy.

After finishing off his pizza, Michael couldn’t help but sigh. Guess it was time to head into the craziness that was his life. Michael continued drinking his Slurpee as he walked to the ‘abandoned’ house. He knocked on the door before poking his head in. “Hello?”

The door opened by itself and Michael was greeted by Net, sitting on the floor in the middle of the room with his hands raised like a puppet master. His eyes were closed and Michael saw dozens of objects around the room floating as if lifted by strings. He didn’t even seem aware of Michael’s presence, he just opened the door on instinct.

After closing the door behind himself, Michael slowly walked over and sat down beside Net. He slowly sipped on his Slurpee and waited for Net to relax. Or for someone else to come in. Whatever came first.

After a moment, everything stopped hovering and settled back where it was before. Net took a deep, shaky breath, and opened his eyes. He blinked a few times, and had to wipe away some— wait, were those black tears?

“Oh, hi Michael. When did you get here?” he asked, his voice weak and shaky.

Michael instantly put his drink down and offered his hands out to Net. “A minute ago. Do you need a hug?” he instantly asked, more worried about Net. Why was he crying black tears? What caused this? Did using his powers somehow cause this?

Net nodded and took Michael’s hand instantly. “Yes please.”

After taking it, Michael tugged Net close and started to run his fingers through his hair, just like how he would when Jeremy had a bad anxiety attack. “You’re okay now,” he murmured.

Net melted against him, sighing softly. “Thanks, Mikey...”

“Of course,” Michael said, resting his head against Net’s. “You’re gonna be just fine.”

“I just pushed too far. But m’okay.” Net nuzzled against Michael. “Y’ready for today?”

He thought to lie a little before he sighed and told Net, “Yes and no. In theory, but this is really a lot. I know it’s gonna be a lot for everyone, but this is... Yeah.”

“Yeah, I get it.” Net nodded understandingly. “Until a few days ago, you didn’t even know about magic, let alone other worlds. And you haven’t had your ‘adventure’ yet, either. This _is_ your adventure.”

Michael hesitated before nodding. "Yeah. Around Halloween, I thought I'd only have to confront Jeremy about the SQUIP in his head and I'd be golden. Now it's escalated to something so insane that I doubt anyone would believe me about all of this if I told them," he admitted with a sigh.

“If it counts for anything, I’d believe you,” Net offered with a small, tired smile. “Though, I’m hardly the most sane or stable person to ask at this point, so...”

He squeezed Net and nuzzled his head against Net’s. “Thank you, dude. That means a lot.”

Net chuckled and squeezed Michael. “I’m gonna go clean up. This black stuff’ll leave marks if I don’t clean it up soon.” He reluctantly pulled back. “Why don’t you go find Sixer in the meantime? Then we can pile into the Cruiser and go be heroes or whatever.”

Michael couldn’t help but scoff. “I’m not a hero, but thanks. I’m the chauffeur for the heroes,” he said before ruffling Net’s hair and standing up. “Where’s Sixer?”

“Training, I think.” Net hummed as he stood up. “He was acting weird earlier, but he told me to just practice until you got here. Moon and Siren are upstairs in the bathroom.”

After nodding, Michael hurried to the living room. It seemed to become Sixer’s go-to training spot when everyone else was busy.

He paused before heading in, not hearing any of the usual grunts or even panting that accompanied Sixer’s training routines. Instead, he just heard a tired and somewhat scared sigh from somewhere close to the couch. Michael blinked before walking over to the couch somewhat cautiously. He looked and no one was on the couch, so he looked behind it. “Sixer?”

Sixer jumped as he looked up, fumbling with something in his hands before shoving it into his blazer. “Oh! Hi, Michael. I— I wasn’t expecting you to— you to have arrived yet,” he stammered, not just said, _stammered_. Sixer never stammered. It was one of the things that set him apart from the other Jeremys.

“It’s around the same time I always get here,” Michael said as his eyebrows furrowed with worry. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing. Just—... just thinking.” Sixer tried to calm himself down, but was clearly struggling.

It was clearly more than that. “You know, if something's bothering you, you can tell me and I’ll help,” Michael told Sixer.

Sixer looked conflicted before sighing and patting the ground next to him, inviting Michael to sit. “I don’t know how much you know about addiction, but that’s what I’m struggling with,” he explained softly as Michael sat. “It’s not something you can help with, not without putting yourself at risk as well, which I won’t allow. You’re already doing that enough.”

Michael nodded. He didn’t understand it since he’d never experienced it before, but he got the concept well enough. “Is it the Mask that’s making you struggle so much?”

“You have no idea,” Sixer said as he nodded. “It’s addictive, it’s _designed_ that way so it can get more powerful. Both me and my Michael struggled with it. Him even more so since had it longer, but we— we threw our one away, into the river, so we couldn’t be tempted anymore. And now it’s here, even if it’s not the same one, and it’s... it’s a lot.”

Oh god. Michael couldn’t even imagine and didn’t want to. That sounded like something that would destroy him. Not missing a beat, he held his arms wide open for Sixer.

Sixer hesitated, then slowly slid into Michael’s arms and curled up there. He seemed so much smaller, all of a sudden, so much younger. So much more like the Jeremy Michael knew and not then cool and suave hitman he knew Sixer to be.

Michael made sure to hold him close, doing the same motions through Sixer’s hair as he had done for Net. Sixer didn’t instantly relax like Net had, but some of the tension left.

“You shouldn’t have to do this,” Sixer whispered after a moment. “You’ve got enough on your plate. You shouldn’t have to deal with an addict having a relapse too.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t, but I’m choosing to help you. You’re not gonna argue with me on this.”

Sixer chuckled weakly and started to properly relax into the hug. “Thank you. You’re a stubborn dumb dumb though, you know that right?”

Michael couldn’t help but snort. “‘Dumb dumb’? What are you, five?”

Sixer pouted and snuggled closer to Michael. “Yes. Because I say so.”

Okay, that got a good laugh out of Michael. “Oh, so you’re five now? A little baby toddler?”

“Yes, now take care of me, Mikey!” Sixer demanded, pitching his voice higher and putting on the slight lisp Jeremy had when he was little.

That made his heart ache in the best of ways before Michael shifted to properly hold Sixer in such a comforting hug. He missed this. “I will.”

“Yay!” Sixer cheered softly, going totally limp in Michael’s arms. Michael had never seen or felt Sixer get so relaxed, but the comforting weight in his arms was familiar. This was still Jeremy, even if he was different and older.

Michael held Sixer a bit closer as he shut his eyes. Hopefully he could help everyone and not screw it all up. It seemed like he was doing something to actually help.

At the very least, he seemed to be making a difference for both Sixer and Net. They'd been thrown into this situation as much as Michael had, even if they'd acted more in control. Michael was starting to suspect it was affecting them more than they were letting on.

Well, he needed to step up a bit more and help him too. Well, when Michael could. Everyone being overwhelmed and unable to help each other wouldn't do.

  
  


While Net and Sixer prepared to leave, Michael decided to go and look for Moon and maybe Siren. He was curious to see how they were doing.

He headed to the bathroom, since Net mentioned Moon was staying with Siren up there. He knocked on the door.

“Come in!” It was so weird to hear his own voice (albeit heavily accented) from in there.

Siren was alone in the surprisingly large bathroom, sitting in the tub and relaxing there. His tail was iridescent and shimmery. It was rather hypnotic, really, and made it easier to ignore the fact it was connected to someone with his own body.

“Hello, Michael,” Siren greeted softly. “How are you today?”

Michael quickly looked away from Siren’s tail to focus on him. “I... Not the best, but I’m getting by,” he admitted before sitting down on the toilet seat near the large tub (or was it a jacuzzi tub?) and looking at Siren. “How are you doing? I imagine being confined isn’t fun.”

“I am not here all the time.” Siren shrugged. “I just need to remain well hydrated and spend a few hours in the water every day. Buwan has been helping me with that.” He sighed and leaned back. “Being in this world is hard though. I thought being part of the human world with my Jeremy was hard enough, but this is harder.”

“Is it being alone, without him, that makes this harder?”

“Yes.” Siren nodded. “He and I... I miss him so much.” Siren started fiddling with a ring that Michael hadn’t noticed before. It was beautiful, made of gold and what looked like a pearl.

Michael’s eyes softened as he looked back up at Siren. It was weird looking at his own face, but he needed to let Siren know something. “My Jeremy and I have been best friends for twelve years. I’ve been missing him a lot since he took his SQUIP. But we’re going to get our Jeremys back, okay? We’re gonna make sure of it. You’ll be back home soon with him, I promise.”

Siren hesitated, then reached over and took Michael’s hand. His skin was surprisingly smooth and soft, and he squeezed Michael’s hand. “Thank you, Michael. We will both see our loves again soon.”

Michael's face warmed up and he shook Siren's hand back. "I— We aren't dating, but thanks. We'll see them again."

“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought that—”

He quickly soothed Siren by waving his free hand. “No, no, it’s fine. I like him, but we aren’t dating,” Michael clarified.

“Oh, okay.” Siren paused then muttered something in what Michael assumed to be siren language. Then he nodded and looked at Michael. “Can I just try something quickly with you? I’ve been practicing it with my Jeremy, but I wanted to see if it could help clear some things up.”

Michael thought for a second before nodding. He wouldn’t hurt him(self?), and if he had been doing this with his Jeremy, Michael was more than fine trying this out. With how much he seemed to adore his Jeremy, Siren wouldn’t hurt his Jeremy either. “Go for it.”

Siren beamed at him and nodded. “Okay. Does your Jeremy ever look at you like this?” Siren softly started singing and Michael found himself relaxing and closing his eyes by instinct. An image resolved itself in his mind, one of an older Jeremy with long hair tied back in a pony tail. He was playing a violin on the deck of a pirate looking ship. He stopped and looked over at Michael with... something, his expression was familiar but it was the expression Michael could never place. The singing stopped and Michael found himself almost waking up.

After slowly blinking himself to full consciousness, Michael looked back to Siren. If those two were dating and his Jeremy looked at presumably Siren like that, and his own Jeremy looked at Michael like that... “Y—yeah, he has,” Michael said after swallowing a forming lump in his throat.

“Then he likes you back.” Siren nodded, as if reenforcing his point. “But he just doesn’t know it yet. My Jeremy was looking at me like that for a long time before he asked to court me. He told me he had the feelings for a long time too, but never realised them until later.”

Okay, made sense. “Yeah, he’s a bit oblivious at times, but that’s because he has so much going on in his head,” Michael fondly said before shutting his eyes. “Plus, at least for us, we were each other’s only friends until the SQUIP came into the picture. I only realized my feelings for him after he was gone as well.”

“He and I were our only friends too,” Siren admitted. “He washed up on an island and my pod didn’t have... friends. It was a new concept for me.”

Michael’s eyes softened and he nodded. “Well, I’m glad you guys got to bond and become so close.”

“He helped me with that. And he helped me learn to speak English too, even if I had basic knowledge of it.” Siren sighed and sunk deeper into the water. “I miss him... but we will get him back with the others. And then we will go home to our ship and keep travelling.” He nodded and closed his eyes. “Even if I miss him, we will get through this and be together again.”

"You will get your happy ending back. Everyone'll be able to go back to theirs," Michael promised as he looked back to Siren.

“Thank you, Michael. You are very wise.” Siren smiled. Then he paused and blinked. “And I’m not just saying that because you are me from this universe.”

After recovering from Siren’s comment, Michael couldn’t help but laugh. “Two things: one, thank you for the compliment. Two, I am a teenager, so I’m surprised I’m wise compared to you who is at least an adult? I think.”

“I am an adult.” Siren nodded, also laughing a little. “Though with how little I understand the human world, I may as well be a child. I’m just lucky my Jeremy is patient with me and happy to teach.”

“Dude, I barely understand anything about the human world either, and I was born and raised in it my whole life!”

That got Siren laughing properly. “Okay, that is very fair and— what was the word Buwan used the other day? Valid?”

Michael had to keep himself from bursting out into hysterics, so he just snickered and nodded. “Yeah, that’s the word. You used it right too. It just sounds so foreign when you say it.”

“Well I am foreign.” Siren stuck out his tongue and wow, was that really how Michael looked when he did that? He looked so dorky and childish. “I am so foreign I’m not even the same species. We are compatible, though. Jeremy is proof of that.”

“Yeah, he is.” Michael thought for a moment before glancing out the bathroom window (why did people design houses with them?). “Hey, have you ever had a Slurpee before?”


	8. Rescue Mission Two Is A Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovelies! Mara here! So this chapter, as you can see from the title, is the second raid. We’re in deeper water than before, and it hurts even more than before. Also, we get some new faces as well as a surprise for Michael. Fun times. I hope you enjoy! 
> 
> And now, here is my Ari ❤️
> 
> Hey guys, Ari here!  
> So... Today isn’t fun for people today. The first raid was the best one these guys are going to have. Plus, things will just continue to go downhill with bull and stress these guys have to deal with from now on.  
> So yeah, just a normal day. :’) Enjoy guys!

As they scoped the outside of this New York facility, Michael felt his heart beating harder than before. There was more security outside and it seemed like they were prepared for a raid. The security seemed a lot more... unforgiving. Less like the average Joe and more like the extreme criminal that was locked up for serial killing or for mass homicide. Yeah, that wasn’t helping.

Sixer looked over the guards critically from their hiding spot across the street. “Okay, so we have three murderers, two gang members who were convicted for murder and... Oh fuck no. Not even going there.” He shook his head, disgusted.

Michael’s stomach churned as he looked back to Sixer, glancing over Net’s horrified expression. “How are they even here?”

“Host either SQUIPed some guards at a prison or he pulled some strings,” Sixer said. “Net, are they connected?”

Net took a shaky breath before holding out his hands and closing his eyes. The guards didn’t move but Net shook his head. “No, they’re SQUIP-free.”

“Okay.” Sixer closed his eyes for a second. When he opened them again, there was something icy cold in them that Michael had never seen before. “I can deal with this.”

Deal with them? Michael looked at Sixer with presumably wide eyes. “You don’t mean...”

“If I have to.” Sixer stood and pushed back his hair. “You might want to cover your ears.”

Michael looked over at Net with definite wide eyes then. “He can’t do this, right?” Yeah, they were awful people and Sixer was a hitman, but he couldn’t. Right?

“I don’t think we have a say in what he can and cannot do,” Net whispered as Sixer left their hiding spot. Net was pale, paler than normal, and clearly terrified.

Shit. Michael glanced at Sixer and saw him reach for something. He quickly scooted to Net and partially covered Net’s ears. “Well, I know I don’t agree with it,” Michael said before firmly covering Net’s ears.

Net curled close to Michael, shivering badly in fear, but he also reached up and covered Michael’s ears. The world fell into an uncomfortable, muffled blur.

Michael wanted to close his eyes to block everything out but he needed to know when Sixer came back. He looked pointedly away from across the street, trying to focus on the minimal true foliage that remained from the commercialized revamp for the SQUIP HQ. Some of it still remained, and some weeds and grass were trying to grow through the concrete cracks.

A pair of legs came into view a few minutes later. Michael looked up and saw Sixer. His expression was detached, too neutral. He squatted down and Michael spotted a splatter of blood on Sixer’s cheek, but it was quickly wiped away with a hankie that Michael hadn’t noticed.

Michael gently removed his hands from Net’s ears, gently nudging Net. Net still stayed close to Michael but slowly removed his hands as well. After swallowing the lump in his throat, Michael asked, “So it’s done?”

“They’re still alive,” Sixer replied. His voice was cold and detached but not too harsh. “Well, mostly.”

Even if he was relieved, Michael still had to take a few deep breaths before he could stand. He helped Net up as well before nodding at Sixer. “Okay.”

Looking around, Michael couldn’t see any bodies or people around, but he did notice a blood splatter off to the side. He quickly looked away.

“Let’s get inside. We don’t want this to last any longer than we have to,” Sixer instructed firmly, already walking towards the door.

Michael nodded, even if Sixer couldn’t see it. He looked to Net and kept holding onto his hand before gesturing his head towards the HQ. Net took a shaky breath and nodded as well, but then he looked up at Sixer. The hitman had stopped part of the way towards the building, his posture stiff and his breathing harsh.

“Sixer? Are... you okay?” Net asked hesitantly. Sixer didn’t respond, he just started looking around somewhat frantically.

Something was wrong. Michael quickly let go of Net’s hand and hurried over to Sixer’s side. “Sixer?” he asked as he tried to figure out what was wrong. Was he having another relapse?

Sixer’s eyes were wide but unfocused. He was looking around still, almost like he was seeing something not there. His fingers brushed against his cheek the blood splatter had been. Michael carefully hovered his hand nearby. “Sixer,” he said more solidly as he stayed close. “It’s us, Michael and Net.”

Sixer didn’t respond, his expression still distant and scared. Net put his hand on Sixer’s arm, trying to offer some comfort, and Sixer just reacted.

In a smooth motion, Sixer grabbed Net and had his hands pinned behind his back, a knife positioned near his neck but not close enough to hurt him. Then, Sixer cried out in shock and dropped the knife, releasing Net and stumbling backwards. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

Net rubbed his neck and stepped backwards, but he didn’t look upset. “You didn’t mean it. It’s fine.”

So he was having a different kind of relapse. “It’s okay,” Michael assured Sixer as he carefully picked up the knife. “We know you didn’t mean to do it. You’d never mean to.” Quickly, Michael glanced at Net to truly make sure he was alright. If he was, then Michael was going to be worried about Net too.

Net, surprisingly, seemed to be okay. A little shaken, perhaps, but not hurt or upset.

“No, it’s not fine! I haven’t had a relapse like this in years. I— I— Oh god, I just—“ Sixer looked like he might be sick.

“This is a lot and it’s new. You’ve been in a stressful situation for a while and haven’t had a proper release,” Michael pointed out, hoping he was helping. Probably not. He was taking a shot in the dark. Sixer might not even listen to logic at that moment.

“That doesn’t excuse what I just did,” Sixer croaked and shook his head. Then, he stiffened and his eyes went wide. For a moment he was frozen, then his entire body relaxed and his expression shifted to a neutral smile. Slowly, he climbed to his feet and just sort of swayed there.

Michael’s gut churned before he realized what might have happened. He exhaled shakily before looking back at Net. As expected, Net had his hands up and was focused purely on Sixer. He twitched his fingers before relaxing. “There. Does that help, Sixer?” He panted, wiping away a single black tear that dripped down his cheek.

“I— Yeah.” Sixer swallowed hard, sounding out of breath behind Michael but still much calmer. “Thanks.”

Michael quickly glanced around and they were still clear, at least for now. “I don’t mean to be rude, but we should get going in before others show up or come out here.”

“Yeah, let’s move,” Sixer agreed, sounding like he was brushing himself off. He then stepped towards the door, pulling out a keycard and swiping it in the lock. The door swung open. “Let’s be quick about this.”

After nodding, Michael’s eyes softened. “You’re gonna try to take a breather and not bottle up all your emotions after this, right?”

“Yeah. I’ll- I’ll take some time,” Sixer agreed softly, letting in Net and Michael. “Okay, so there’s no artifact room in this building, but there is a barracks, so we need to be quick.”

“A barracks? Like, where everyone sleeps in the army?” Michael asked.

“They have more people here than normal.” Sixer nodded.

Oh great. “Okay, good to know. Let’s get going then.”

“Yeah. Follow me.”

  
  


After sneaking around for a bit, Michael had to keep himself from breathing a sigh of relief. He didn’t want to jinx it. They arrived outside the tube room, as Michael so eloquently dubbed it. Net made quick work of accessing the door and unlocking it.

Sixer was tense and looking around. “Get inside. There are guards coming,” he hissed. Net nodded and slipped in as soon as the door opened. Michael followed Net in, waiting for Sixer before shutting the door shut and then looking around.

There were two tubes once again, both filled with the same goo as before. This time, though, the people in the tubes shocked Michael. One was a Jeremy who appeared to be missing an arm, which itself was shocking. The other was what really caught his attention though. Brooke Lohst, Jeremy’s current ‘girlfriend,’ was floating in the other, her head shaved but her face recognizable enough.

Michael hesitated as Net went over to the console to free them, but went to where he saw the towels were. “They’re getting more than just Michaels and Jeremys?”

“Yes. Anyone linked to taking down the SQUIP from that universe is brought over. This Brooke is the one who pushed that Michael and Jeremy together and made sure they could stay together,” Net explained. Sixer shushed them.

“They’re coming!” Sixer hissed. “Everyone behind the tubes!” Net left the consoles and rushed to the tubes at that, a panicked look on his face.

Shit, right. Michael didn’t grab a towel but hid behind the tube of Brooke since it was next to the towel closet. He glanced over and saw Sixer and Net behind the Jeremy’s tube.

The door rattled.

No one said a word.

The sound of footsteps walking away.

Sixer let out a shaky breath and seemed to be about to say something when he _glitched_. His body lost coherence in a blur of color and there was a loud snapping sound for a split second before he reformed.

The footsteps ran back towards the door. Michael tensed, even as he and Net looked to Sixer in worry. Shit, it was starting. Please let the guards move on by though. They couldn’t lose anyone to the guards.

There was some chatter outside the room before they seemed to walk on. No one moved for another moment, just to be sure.

They waited maybe two minutes before they felt comfortable enough to move. Michael instantly checked on Sixer, as Net was doing the same. “Hey, are you okay?”

“I—... Yeah. It just felt... gross,” Sixer said as he managed a nod. He looked more than a little shaken, even more so than before, but at least he wasn’t on the edge of a breakdown. “Let’s just get this done. I want to go back and sleep.”

Net nodded and headed back over to the console. Michael gently squeezed Sixer’s shoulder before taking him to the towels. He gave Sixer one before gesturing to the tubes. “Which one?”

Sixer paused. “You take the Jeremy. I’ll take Brooke.”

“Okay, sounds like a plan.” Michael helped Sixer settle, as that tube was already starting to drain, before he headed over to the Jeremy’s tube. As he passed Net, Michael asked, “How are you doing?”

“I’ll manage,” Net replied, “But I’ll need a break when we get back.” It was the most serious and focused Michael had ever heard him sound.

“Yeah, of course.” Michael patted his back before hurrying over to the other tube, towel ready. The goo wouldn’t catch him off-guard this time.

The Jeremy slid out of his tube and was deposited on the ground almost silently. Michael instantly wrapped him in a towel and held him close, cleaning him off gently. The Jeremy groaned and his eyes fluttered open. “Mikey?” he asked hoarsely.

“Sort of. I’ll explain everything soon,” Michael promised as he looked this Jeremy over. Besides the missing limb, he was a bit darker-skinned and seemed... not white. Well, not fully. He wasn’t the pasty white boy all the other Jeremys had been so far, and he sounded a little different. His hair was a little darker too, but this kid was surely Jeremy through and through.

The Jeremy blinked hard a few times and opened his eyes properly. “You’re— This is—“ He looked around the room. “We’re in the twenty-first century? What?”

Oh, so a future Jeremy? “Like I said, I’ll explain everything soon, okay? I need to get you cleaned up and then we need to get out of here.”

Jeremy nodded, then focused on Michael properly. “Okay. But... the SQUIP. Is that the cause of why I’m here?”

Michael nodded as he quickly worked to dry this Jeremy down. He glanced over and saw Sixer was almost done with Brooke. “Yeah. It always seems to be the problem, I’m guessing?”

"Considering it took over for three thousand years because of my inaction originally, yes." The Jeremy looked around and spotted Sixer, then Net. He seemed less shocked than Michael expected, cocking his head almost like he was listening to something before he nodded. "Okay, so there are multiple of me. I'm guessing alternate versions..." He hummed. "To make it easier, you can call me Jinx. And if you could grab my arm from over there, that would be great. I'll finish cleaning myself up."

Despite his growing confusion at Jinx, Michael hesitated before asking, "Uh... Your arm?"

Jinx nodded. “Yeah, my arm. See?” He held up his right hand, or where his right hand was supposed to be. Except it was missing and so was half so his arm, all the way up to the elbow. Oh shit, right, Michael had forgotten that aspect with all the chaos and the close call with the guards. “It’s just over there on that control panel.” Michael glanced over and sure enough there was a mechanical arm with a semi-realistic hand attached to it as well as a harness that looked like it would fit on Jinx’s remaining arm.

Oh. Honestly, he just thought he didn’t have an arm. Made sense that he had a prosthetic. Michael got up, giving Jinx the towel, before hurrying to the stand where the arm and harness was. He carefully took it off, hoping that he hadn’t just tripped off some silent alarm, before he went back to Jinx.

Jinx accepted the prosthetic with a smile and a nod, already clean from the goo. In a practiced motion, he slipped on the harness and the arm. He gritted his teeth and then the arm snapped into place with a hiss. Jinx wiggled his fingers as nimbly as if the prosthetic were his own natural limb, which Michael didn’t know was even possible for a prosthetic, before he nodded. “Calibration’s a bit off but that’s repairable. I won’t be drawing for a bit, though.” He looked at Michael. “Thanks.”

“Uh, yeah, of course.” Michael did his best to shake off his shock. He stood up, helping Jinx up as well. “How’d you already know about, uh, all this?”

Jinx hesitated. “You might not believe me if I told you.”

Michael raised a brow. “Give me the too long, didn’t read version. Uh, I mean, the short summary. I’ve been through a lot in the last week or so, so I think I’ll believe you.”

Jinx snickered. “It’s fine dude, you don’t need to correct yourself. I’m old, but not that old. Er—“ He caught himself. “Well, in my world, the SQUIPs won and made a hive mind. Magic came back to combat it and I was reborn three thousand years or so after the original me died. I got my memories back thanks to my Michael, who was brought back and made of pure magic. And he’s how I can sort of understand what’s happening. I can hear magic, and since the magic here is different he can’t have a proper form, so he’s just like a ghost right now.”

Oh wow. “So your Michael’s with you right now?” As he asked, Michael looked over around Jinx, hoping to possibly catch a flash or something of the guy.

“Yeah.” Jinx nodded. Then, seemingly on its own, Michael saw Jinx’s hair get ruffled. Jinx giggled and gently swatted at an invisible hand. “Cut it out, Mikey. Serious time.” Michael then felt that same invisible hand ruffle his own hair and pull his hood up.

Michael yelped before tugging his hood back down. “Okay.” Then he realized what Jinx said. “So magic now exists here. Well, I just now learned that fact. Well, my disbelief has been suspended for a while, so I guess I totally accept this new, normally mind-boggling-to-anyone fact.”

Jinx cocked his head, listening to something (probably his Michael) again before he nodded. “Magic has always been here. It’s just that it’s not been needed so it’s weak and underdeveloped. It’s actually like a younger version of our magic. That’s why my Michael is able to be partially formed here.” Oh wow, that was... a lot. “And, it means that people here could probably learn to harness it with time.”

Oh... wow. Too much information. “Okay, that’s enough for today, but good for future reference,” Michael said with a smile and a nod. “We _do_ need to get going ASAP, now that I think about it.”

“The guards will be out of the way for maybe another five minutes, so you’re right.” Sixer nodded as he came over. The Brooke Other hovered behind him nervously. “This is Major, just in case we find any other Brookes.”

“I’m Jinx.” Sixer took Jinx’s hand and shook when offered. “Thanks for coming for us, we’ll do our best to help out.” He paused. “My Michael says thanks too, and he can give you guys an update for what he’s seen while hovering around.”

Michael nodded as he shook Major’s hand, even if she hesitated at first as she looked over him fondly. “Hey. I’m gonna be driving us out of here, so we need to get going,” he said with the best smile he could manage. “Also hi, Michael. This is my universe.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Michael,” Major said with a shy smile yet a firmer voice than his Brooke had ever used in her life.

Net scurried over and basically clung to Michael’s side out of nowhere. “We need to go quick, he’s looking! I can feel him reaching out!”

“Shit. Okay, everyone move out now!” Sixer ordered, pulling out his gun and cocking it. “We’ve got company on the way so move!”

Michael somehow didn’t tense up this time as he held Net close. A feeling in his head seemed to be reaching out, like how it told him to investigate the abandoned house. Maybe this was magic— Focus. That was an issue for another time.

Following the directions he got from this feeling as he focused in on it, Michael started to guide everyone out. “I’ll lead everyone out, you cover us,” he called out as they booked it out of the tube room.

Michael heard the footsteps behind him, but he didn’t look back to see who was following. He knew he could trust Sixer to help any stragglers. Within minutes they were outside and heading towards his car.

“I can’t believe you’ve got the Cruiser here too!” Jinx cried joyously, almost laughing as he ran after Michael.

“Yeah, I inherited it!” Michael cried back as he quickly unlocked his car. “Everyone, backseat except Sixer!”

Without a word of protest, everyone climbed in. As expected, Sixer was at the back of the group. “You get in too, Michael. I’ll wait out here until you’re set in case we get any goons.”

Michael nodded as he quickly hopped in and turned on his car. It started up like a dream, and he thanked whoever above that he built the habit of weekly check-ins (and tuneups if needed). “Come on!”

Sixer jumped into the passenger seat and slammed the door shut. “Punch it!”

As soon as Sixer finished, Michael was peeling out of the spot he was in and down the road, speeding quite a bit. He slowed once he knew they were a safe distance away, but not a second sooner.

“Let’s get back to the base.” Sixer sighed once Michael slowed down. “There's more following us right now, and we need some rest. Do you want me to take over— Ow! Hey!” Sixer grumbled. “Who poked me?”

“Sorry, that was my Michael,” Jinx replied sheepishly. “He’s basically stuck as a poltergeist and he’s not very happy about it. And he doesn’t like the idea of one of us driving his car, even if this isn’t his one exactly.” Sixer just grumbled under his breath. Net snickered and when Michael momentarily glanced back, he saw Net get an affectionate hair ruffle from ghost Michael and from Major.

Michael gave Sixer the best smile he could. “I’m good, but thanks. Also, a version of you who actually owns this car is driving, so chill, me. God, that’s weird.” He shook his head as he pulled onto a freeway.

Everyone giggled at that, even if it was tired. “Yeah, it’s weird,” Net agreed. “But Jinx, what should we call your Michael since he’s still with you?”

“You’re one of the lucky ones for sure,” Sixer agreed softly.

Jinx sort of spluttered before responding. “No, Michael, they are not calling you _that_.” He huffed before sighing. “How about Ghost? Since you’re a poltergeist right now?” Jinc paused. “He said he can deal with that.”

Major hummed from the backseat. “Well, that makes it easy. Nice to sort of meet you, Ghost.” Michael heard her laugh, but he didn’t take his eyes off the road. Presumably, it was some teasingly affectionate action.

“He says it’s nice to meet you too, Major. Also, he wants to know if you collect scarves like our Brooke does?”

“Oh, scarves and cardigans and beanies. I get cold easily and like to be bundled up,” Major said. The chattering helped to soothe Michael’s somewhat frayed nerves as he focused ahead on driving completely. Hopefully they were close to being done and helping out the Others who were trapped. He wasn’t sure how many more raids they could survive at this rate.

He knew he wouldn’t stop, though. This was bigger than him, and he would see it through to the end no matter what. And hey, if he learned more about himself and maybe picked up a bit of magic along the way then what was the harm, right? He could get some benefit from this too. He just had to stick with this and he and Jeremy and all the Others would be fine.


	9. It Is So Not Time To Play

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, Ari here!
> 
> So today is a short but scary and painful chapter. If you’ve read Net’s story (Cabinet Man), you’ll have a good background knowledge for the... incident that is going to occur.  
> Beware but enjoy!
> 
> Now, a word from my Mara. <3
> 
> Hey lovelies, Mara here! Shorter chapter today, but so, so painful. You remember how everyone had issues with the raid? Well, the plan was to address some of those, and it /kinda/ works. Of course, things go wrong because when can things go right for Michael and his friends? Enjoy!

Michael wasn’t so happy about leaving everyone after the raid, so Net agreed to set up a bed for him in the house. Everyone was on edge, especially with Jinx constantly talking to Ghost. Michael could tell there was jealousy mixed in with that nervousness.

He tried his best to ignore it from the others as well as himself as he sent off a text to his moms. Michael said he was staying the night over at Jennas and that he’d be back tomorrow or Sunday. They liked Jenna a lot, so the unprompted sleepover pitch would be fine.

They said it was fine, as expected, but Michael was still nervous. Hopefully they wouldn’t call to check. 

“It’s okay, Michael, just relax,” Net said, patting the couch next to him. “You can come cuddle if you like.”

Michael looked at Net from the wall he was leaning against and nodded. He really needed it, and he knew Net did too. After pocketing his phone, Michael went over and sat on the couch, next to Net. "Please."

Net curled against Michael with a soft, happy sigh. "This is good. It's helping me already..." He hummed. "Today was a lot. Especially for Sixer. He went through a lot today."

"Yeah, he did," Michael agreed as he wrapped his arms around Net. "You did too. We all did, but him especially." Sixer had been helping Jinx and Major get settled the last time he saw him. Hopefully he was actually relaxing or destressing in some way.

“I was okay, except when he started... looking,” Net muttered. “That’s what freaked me out. I could feel him looking at us.”

Michael frowned but nodded as he gave a gentle squeeze as rested his head against Net's own head. "Yeah, that can't be fun."

“I just wish— I wish I could just _push_ him out of me. His influence and stuff. Because he—... It’s just a reminder that my Michael isn’t there anymore and I don’t know what state he’ll be in when we get him back.” Net nuzzled closer to Michael. He could feel the subtle tremble in Net’s body. “I haven’t even had a chance to properly... _be_ with my Michael either since it’s been in him from the first date.”

The dull ache that had been lingering only grew as Michael shifted to slowly rub Net's back. "Well, I think you two will have a good chance to catch up as you and after you recover from all of this. Even if he isn't in the best state when he comes out, he'll be worried and care about you. That's a constant we've all figured out, yeah? How much Michaels care for their Jeremys." God, that was so weird to say, but he hoped it helped convey the point he wanted to get across to Net.

“Yeah, you’re right. Thanks, Michael.” Net sighed. “It’s just... I miss him. And I know he’s gonna blame himself for everything, even though it’s not his fault.”

Michael hummed in understanding. "Yeah, he probably will. I know that, if I had to put myself in his shoes, I'd do the same thing."

“It’s not fair.” Michael could agree on that. “None of us deserve this. And I— I—” Net started coughing.

Instantly, Michael stilled his hand on instinct before he tried to rub the small of Net's back. Was he choking or was it something else? "Net?"

Net tried to respond, but he kept coughing and started shaking his head. Michael was about to ask if he needed some water when he saw Net's eyes were watering. And the tears were black.

Shit. "Sixer!" Michael cried out as he tried to keep Net as calm as he could in his arms. He had no idea what exactly was happening, but it seemed to be something close to a panic attack.

Sixer shot into the room a moment later, ready for action. “What's happening? What's—” He caught sight of Net. "Shit. Michael, we need to move. Now!" Sixer ran over and grabbed Michael's arm. "Host is trying to establish control again and we need to let him ride this out. Everyone! Lock your doors! Hide!"

There were some confused cries from throughout the house and some doors slamming shut. "Wait, this is what that means?" Had Michael been told this before? Probably, but so much information at once made him forget other things he should've known. Also, school work didn't help.

Michael let Sixer pull him away and up the stairs. Net, though, still coughing and shaking, stumbled to his feet. 

“We need to hunker down and wait this out,” Sixer hissed, tugging Michael into a side room and slamming the door shut.

Even as he was pulled further into the room, a bit shell-shocked, Michael felt his heart breaking. "How often does this happen?" he asked in a hushed whisper.

"This is the third time,” Sixer whispered back, tensing up and backing as far from the door as possible. "Normally it only lasts a minute or two, but they're bad. I can't be around him when it happens."

“So that Host doesn’t see you or...?”

"Because of what Net would do to me,” Sixer grimly replied. "I— When I was trying to deal with my SQUIP, I was put on a drug we called Dolly. It had some lasting effects, and one of those Net discovered recently." Sixer took a breath. "Dolls are just puppets without strings. And that's how he sees me when he's like this. I'm so easy to control, and we'd be back under Host's control in minutes if he gets to me."

Michael tensed as he glanced to the locked door. “I.... That’s awful. I’m sorry that happened to you. I understand why he has to be alone then.”

“The more people he tries to control, the stronger Host’s control over him is.” Sixer closed his eyes. Then he tended up when footsteps sounded just out the door. Michael quieted and tensed up as well, looking to the door once more. After a moment, he could see the faint shadow of Net’s feet trickle under the crack in the door.

The door handle rattled as Net tried to open it. “Sixer. Mikey,” he called in a singsong voice, “I know you’re in there. Let me in please. I want to play.” Sixer covered his mouth and shook his head, curling up into a ball next to Michael. He’d never seen Sixer look so scared in his life. “Please let me in so we can play.”

Despite all the emotions running through him, Michael kept quiet and held an arm around Sixer. He tried his best to block out the singsongy nature of Net’s voice that made him sound... surreal? Creepy? Yeah, creepy. Michael also has to try to assure himself he wasn’t hearing an eerie music box playing in the background.

The door rattled again and Sixer’s arm jerked forwards, away from his mouth, like it was tugged. He cried out in shock.

Net giggled and it seemed to echo around the room. “I can feel you both in there. Please come out. Everything is fine.”

Michael quickly tugged Sixer back, closer to him as he held onto him. He kept quiet as he managed to scoot them further back into the room. They just needed to wait this out and they’d be fine. Net wouldn’t be going after the others.

“Mikey, time to play.” Michael felt his own wrist grabbed and tugged away from Sixer, but he didn’t cry out. Instead he just curled closer to him and tried to block everything out.

In retaliation, Michael shut his eyes tight as he pulled his hand back with all the strength he could muster, wrapping the arm around Sixer again and keeping him close.

For a moment, he was overcome by an undeniable urge to stand up and unlock the door, and it was only Sixer’s shaking form curled close to him that stopped him from moving. Then Net started coughing and the urge faded once more.

Michael couldn’t help but groan as the urge faded, as it felt like he was hit like a truck once it passed. He curled up further around Sixer as he tried to let the aches and pains subside from it all, though he tried to listen for Net. Hopefully he was himself again.

About a minute later, the coughing stopped. There was a gentle knock on the door. “Uh, guys? It’s over now. I’m— I’m sorry.” That sounded more like Net now, quiet and fragile, even if his voice was somewhat hoarse. “I’ll wait for you downstairs. Just... come out when you’re ready.”

After a moment, Michael cleared his throat and said in turn, “Okay. We just... need a few minutes.” He hoped his voice was assuring to Net.

Net sounded so relieved. “Okay, that’s more than fine. See you in a bit.” He could be heard as he walked off. Sixer didn’t relax.

Michael shifted and looked down at the still-trembling Sixer. “Hey, how are you feeling?” he managed to ask.

Sixer took a few deep breaths before responding. “Better,” he croaked, “But I hate feeling so helpless.”

“Yeah, it’s not fun,” Michael echoed before rubbing the other’s back momentarily.

“Sorry you had to see me like this...”

“We’re all seeing each other at our worst here, I think. It’s fine,” Michael murmured before glancing at the door. “We should get going downstairs.”

“Yeah.” Sixer nodded after a second, uncurling himself and stretching. He was still shivering but seemed to be pushing it away. “Net will need help after that sort of breakdown. That was the worst one yet.”

Michael nodded too before slowly standing, though his whole body shuddered when he did so. God, that was awful. Host was really messing with this whole group. Michael felt a pang of sympathy for Sixer and Net. What other hells had they been through if this was something almost routine? Sixer clearly wasn’t surprised by it, just freaked out by the response.

After recovering, Michael gave Sixer the best smile he could before going and unlocking the door. He held it open and bowed by his hips as best he could. “You first, my good sir.”

Sixer smiled fondly and ruffled Michael’s hair. “Thanks, Michael. You’re such a gentleman.” He sounded tired but was clearly making an effort. At least he wasn’t shaking anymore as he passed Michael.

Michael considered that a win as he left the room and paused. “It’s safe to open the doors, guys,” he called before slowly but surely heading downstairs.

Michael heard all the doors unlock and open slowly, as well as the usual chatter start up again. Sixer and Net had probably warned them about this then, since they weren’t freaking out too badly. That just made Michael’s stomach churn.

Regardless, he ignored his stomach issues as he made it downstairs and looked around for Sixer, who seemed to vanish, and Net. It didn’t take long to find either, as they were both sitting together on the couch. Sixer was carefully fussing over Net, cleaning up the black tear stains that were covering his cheeks. They were more solid than Michael had seen, but were coming away slowly. Net coughed and Sixer offered him a glass of water in response.

Michael carefully made his way over, waiting until Net finished half the glass before clearing his own throat. “Hey. Mind if I sit?”

“Of course,” Net said with a nod. He couldn’t seem to meet Michael’s gaze, but the fact he was talking was a good sign.

After a moment, Michael sat on Net’s other side. “How are you feeling?”

“Not good,” Net admitted after a moment’s pause. “Really terrible, honestly. In every way.” Sixer, who had stopped his fussing when Michael sat down, started cleaning Net’s cheeks again.

“Well, what can we do to help?” Michael asked further as he shifted to rub Net’s back.

“There isn’t really anything you can do... my Michael was the one who had to— who had to fight me when I was like that. He knows the details which I— I can’t think about or talk about.” Net closed his eyes and leaned into Michael’s touch. “He’s the only one who can really help me with this, but this is good too...”

Michael’s eyes softened as he continued his best to comfort Net, even if it was only a little. “Well, I’m glad we can provide something for you. Maybe I can go and get some food too at 7/11? Unhealthy food makes me feel better when I’m in a slump.”

“A Slurpee would be great.” That got a weak smile out of Net, so Michael counted that as another win for him.

Michael hummed before nodding. “What about food? Greasy pizza or a weird churro amalgamation thing? I forget what they’re called right now.”

Net nodded and said, “Yeah, that sounds good.”

“Could you pick me up some pizza, please?” Sixer asked softly. “You can take the money for everything out of my wallet.”

“I’ll just get a whole box of the stuff and a buttload of napkins,” Michael said with a nod before slowly getting up. “That way, everyone can have a piece and slowly clog their arteries.”

Sixer chuckled weakly at that and Net smiled. “Yeah, sounds like a plan. Thanks, Michael.”

Michael nodded before looking around. He looked to the front door when Sixer pointed, seeing Sixer’s wallet on a small table near the door. “Thanks.” He gave Net one last back rub before grabbing the wallet and leaving.

———

  
  


Later that night, once everyone had settled down a bit more and had a chance to calm down, Michael was curled up in his bed in the safe house. He had his phone out, scrolling through tumblr, when he received a notification.

QueenJen: heyyyy nerd, lets have u come over tomorrow plz I have important stuffs to tell u

Oh god. She knew somehow. Jenna had to by this point, right? What had given it all away?

ZagreYES: okaaaay what time and what deets are u telling me???

QueenJen: meet for lunch? And its related what uve been up to

ZagreYES: what, my good boy things???

Michael could almost imagine Jenna rolling her eyes fondly.

QueenJen: yes michael, your good boy things

ZagreYES: there won’t be much to discuss lol but okay sure

QueenJen: maybe but still it’s important

ZagreYES: okay, see u tomorrow then

As Michael sent a waving emoji, Michael flopped back on the inflatable mattress and sighed. So... she didn’t seem to be upset. Maybe she didn’t know—unlikely—but maybe if she did know—likely—she could help?

Either way, Michael would be glad to have someone from his own world (what a sentence) to help. And Jenna, well she was one the best friends he could ever imagine having. No matter what happened tomorrow, he knew he could count on her.


	10. B Team... Assemble!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Lovelies, Mara here! So, after all the excitement last night, everyone could really use some space to calm down, right? What better way than to go see Michael's newest best friend Jenna. Nothing could go wrong, especially considering that Net might not be completely himself today...
> 
> And now, I bring you my Ari ❤️
> 
> Hey guys, Ari here!  
> So, remember how there’s a B Team that’s introduced later on in ‘Into the Spiderverse’? The one that has John Mulaney at SpiderPig and Nicolas Cage as SpiderNoir? Yeah, that’s happening.  
> Enjoy!

Michael didn’t sleep well. Despite the reassurances that he was totally fine now, just tired, Michael was still worried about Net. He seemed jumpier than usual. Understandable, but still. It was enough that, by the morning, he was considering rescheduling with Jenna to help take care of Net.

“No, you need to see her. She clearly has something important to tell you, Mikey,” Net insisted.

Michael frowned as he looked over Net. “But you clearly aren’t feeling well,” he pointed out as he looked to Sixer for support.

“True, but I can look after him, Michael.” Sixer soothed. He was much more put together than he had been last night. “I’ve got the Others here to help if I need anything. You shouldn’t just focus on us, you have a life to maintain in this world as well, don’t forget.” Damnit, Michael hated that he was right.

“Multitasking is hard though,” Michael said with a pout. He just wanted to take care of his friend, but Jenna was also his friend and needed to talk. Ugh!

“Exactly, which is why you’re going to see Jenna and just be normal Michael for a change instead of inter dimensional helper Michael.” Sixer arched an eyebrow, as if (read: he totally was) challenging Michael to try and argue.

Oh god how he wanted to, but Michael knew he couldn’t win. Maybe against his own Jeremy, but not Sixer. “Alright, fine,” he conceded with a grumble.

“Good.”

Before Sixer or Michael could say anything further, Net cried out in surprise. He looked down at his arms almost in awe, somehow seeming so much more energetic than before.

“Holy crap it worked!” he cried. Something in his tone was different, but Michael didn’t know what. “Okay, everything seems to be working.”

Michael looked at Net with even more worry. It didn’t seem like Host was controlling him in the slightest, but something was off. “Uh, Net? Are you okay? What worked?”

“I’m not Net. I’m just linked to him right now.” What the hell? “You can call me Mimic. I’m a Jeremy from a different world, the one who reached out to Moon originally.” Sixer seemed too stunned to comment on Mimic’s explanation. “I’ve been trying for like a week to reach through, but all the other Jeremys are in stasis or are too resilient for me to share with properly.”

It took a minute to process what Mimic was saying. “Wait, the one whose Michael died and he went out of his way to answer your cry for help?”

“Yeah, it’s... complicated. But I used my SQUIP’s power to reach out and call for help to revive my Michael.” Mimic nodded. “Ever since then, I’ve been able to see through the eyes of other Jeremys, and borrow their powers. And I can take anyone else linked to their version from the same world.” He paused before taking a breath. “I don’t have long here, so I’ll be quick about why I’m here. Do you know Madeline Blanc?”

Michael had to think for a minute. “Uh, the girl who is obsessed with her French heritage?” Probably because of some home-life reasons. She has the curliest red hair and got picked on in middle school for it, being called Merida, if he remembered correctly. He felt bad for her and helped her out a few times.

“Yeah, her,” Mimic confirmed. “My version of her got taken through when my Michael was taken. She’s gonna be scared and is probably already glitching, so I need you guys to find her. I have an idea of where she’ll be but...” He trailed off, looking a bit nervous.

“But what?”

“But you might have some issues depending,” Mimic finished. “How close are you with Jenna Rolan?”

Oh. Wait. “We’re good friends. I’m going to see her just about now, actually.” Now he knew how Jenna knew.

“Oh, perfect.” Mimic grinned. “My Madeline is dating my version of Jenna. If she’s scared, Jenna would be the person she’d go and find.” Wait, could that be why Jenna wanted to see Michael today? “I just really need you guys to find her quickly. She’s got arrhythmia, so she can’t get too worked up or she might die. And I’m worried because it was supposed to be me who got taken but the portal targeted her.”

Michael’s eyes softened as he instantly felt worried for this Madeline. “Yeah, of course. Does she have something on her that should help?”

“No, her medication is a custom blend so you won’t be able to get it over there.” Mimic frowned.

“Net can do it,” Sixer said, finally speaking up. “He can use his powers and keep her heart rate low.”

Mimic stared at Sixer for a second before nodding. “He agrees with you there. That’ll work.”

Oh, good. “Does she have a heart monitor at least?” Michael asked.

“Yeah, she keeps that with her at all times,” Mimic said. Then he stiffened. “Okay, connection is fading. I’ll be viewing through Net when he’s comfortable with me watching, so just keep him updated and I’ll know when you find her!”

Michael nodded before offering a quick, small wave. “Alright. Stay safe, and I’ll check on your Madeline for you.”

Mimic grinned and gave a cheery salute before he stiffened and cried out again.

“Woah, that was... weird.” Okay, that sounded like Net again. “He was nice though. He asked to share and everything.”

“Are you alright, Net?” Sixer asked gently. Net looked up at Sixer and smiled.

“Yeah, I’m okay. He helped me relax a lot more and was very polite.”

Relief flooded through Michael, and probably Sixer too. “Alright, good,” Michael said before offering an arm to Net for a hug.

Net instantly shifted and melted against Michael with a happy sigh. “Thank you, Mikey.” He hummed, closing his eyes. “You’re still gonna go see Jenna, right? And tell her everything? Mimic says she’s someone we can trust.”

Michael nodded as he held Net close. “Yeah. I’ve been wanting to tell her but didn’t know if I could,” he admitted. “I didn’t wanna bring her into this, but it seems like she’s already a part of it.”

“If Maddie’s found her then she’s part of this for sure,” Net agreed. He nuzzled against Michael, seeming so much more relaxed. It helped Michael calm his own nerves too.

“Do you want us to maybe come with you? Stay in the car or something in case you need help explaining?” Sixer offered.

There was a moment of hesitation before Michael nodded. “Yeah, that would be great.”

“Then we’ll come along.” Sixer nodded. “Jinx and Moon will be able to handle things here if anything happens, which isn’t likely.”

Michae nodded before exhaling shakily and going to grab his car keys and wallet. “Alright, well, let’s get going then.” This was going to be interesting.

  
  


———

  
  


Now parked in Jenna’s driveway, Michael slowly peeled his fingers off of the steering wheel. Ugh, nerves. He glanced to the window and swore he saw someone pull their head back that wasn’t Madeline, Jenna, or one of Jenna’s dads. Okay, hearing the multitude of people greet Jenna yesterday made a lot more sense. Why didn’t he figure it out sooner?

To be fair, he didn’t know more than Jeremys and Michaels were being pulled through at that point.

“We’ll be out here waiting for you, Michael,” Sixer said while pulling out a book to read. Net did the same from the back seat. “Just text me if you need some help.”

“Alright.” Michael hesitated before stopping. “Do you guys want the car running actually while I’m in there? I can leave them with you.”

“Nah, we’ll be fine. And we’ll come get you if we need anything.” Sixer smiled. Net nodded in the back, already engrossed in his book.

Michael nodded after a moment, slowly getting out of the car. Sixer locked it for him and gave him a thumbs up before looking back at his book. Okay, this was going to be fine.

There wasn’t anyone in the window, and the door was shut. It looked the same as ever, and if Michael didn’t know better, he’d say it looked utterly ordinary (in a good way). After taking a deep breath, Michael went to Jenna’s door and knocked. “Hey, it’s the nerd,” he called.

The door swung open. “Hey nerd, get inside. We have lots to talk about.” Jenna grinned, ruffling Michael’s hair and stepping aside. “You want some soda? My dad found some Crystal Pepsi in the attic a few days ago if you’re interested.”

Michael couldn’t help but beam at the idea as he stepped in. “That sounds good. Uh, also, what’s the plan for lunch?”

“My papa made fried rice.” Jenna grinned. “It’s just on the stove if you’re happy to have it.”

Oh hell yeah. Her papa’s fried rice was something Michael grew to love recently. “How much of it am I allowed to eat?”

“As much as you like.” Jenna smiled. “Everyone else has already been served. Papa made lots.” Jenna led Michael towards the kitchen. There was a massive bowl of fried rice set out, with a smaller bowl for Michael to serve himself. “Take what you want, we’ll tub up the rest and you can take it with you if you want.”

Michael made sure to fill the bowl mostly up before grabbing himself a spoon. “Thanks, Jenna. I really appreciate it.”

“No problem.” She was already pouring him a glass of Crystal Pepsi. “Living room?”

Michael nodded before he took the now-filled glass from Jenna. Okay, so the big talk was happening while he ate or after. Alright. He could handle confrontation and talking things out like an adult.

“Relax, Michael.” Jenna hummed as she picked up her own bowl of food. “We can talk. And we’re both reasonable, hun. You don’t have to freak out about something that’s not gonna happen.” Damnit, how did she get so good at reading him already? “It’s a skill.”

After exhaling and walking into the living room, Michael sat down and looked at Jenna. “Sorry, it’s partially the anxiety. It sucks.”

“Yeah, I know.” Jenna sat next to him and had a mouthful of fried rice before humming. “So, you go first. Since we both have things to tell each other.”

Michael started explaining everything he knew to Jenna about the crazy situation at hand. It felt like a huge weight was lifted off of his shoulders as he shared all of this with Jenna. As he explained, he also apologized for not telling her all of this sooner. She deserved to know this, especially since he knew she had been involved for who knew how long.

“I don’t blame you for not telling me, hun.” Jenna took Michael’s hand and squeezed. Lunch had already been left to the side, finished during Michael’s explanation. “I knew something was up from the get go, and I knew you’d tell me when you were ready.” She offered him a small, very warm smile. “And I’m so glad you trust me enough to share something so important.”

God, and now he was feeling emotional from Jenna being so understanding and patient. Michael swallowed the forming lump in his throat as he squeezed Jenna's hand in turn. "Thank you, Jenna," was all he managed to get out.

"Of course, Michael." Jenna squeezed right back. "Now, are you ready for what _I_ have to tell you? It's... related. Very related."

Michael nodded as he gave Jenna a weak laugh. "Yeah. I have an idea on what you're going to tell me."

“I’ll bet.” Jenna sighed. “So yeah, I have three people staying in my house. Three alternate dimension people. Not Jeremys or Michaels, which is how they managed to escape,” she explained, rubbing her eyes tiredly. “I told my parents they were friends from school, and luckily they believed me.”

Oh god. "Wow, that's a lot. I didn't know it was three people. I knew about one of them because I got told about it this morning," Michael said before reaching his free hand over to rub Jenna's shoulder in comfort and solidarity. "My alternate dimension people are living in an abandoned house near 7/11."

“My friends might go join them if there’s space.” Jenna hummed. “I don’t know how much longer we can keep them here.” She paused and looked at Michael. “You wanna meet them?”

Michael nodded. "Of course. Also, there's enough room for them there." He'd bring Net and Sixer in after.

“Perfect.” Jenna turned and called to the hallway that led to the garage. “Guys, you can come out now.” Slowly, three figures came from the hallway. One was clearly Jake Dillinger, except he looked older and somehow softer despite the scars on his face and body. The next was Christine and she seemed to be positively buzzing with energy. And finally, as expected, there was Madeline. They all waved with varying levels of awkwardness.

Yeah, he had seen this Christine poking her head in the window earlier. She was bouncing on the balls of her feet like his Christine had until Wednesday, which still broke Michael's heart to think about. She was the one who dared to come closer, but she hesitated. "No, it's okay, you can come over," Michael assured, and over this Christine came.

"Hi!" she said as she hopped down onto the couch. Despite her energy she held, there seemed to be a more motherly overtone than his own Christine who seemed content but also a little lost. "You can call me Techie, 'cause of techies in theatre but my world involved, well, a lot of tech stuff, I guess." She looked Michael over for a moment with worry before her smile made the worry melt away. "You haven't had a SQUIP before, right?"

"Hell no."

"Okay, thank god," Techie practically sighed out.

Jake was the next one to come over, taking the armchair nearby. “I— Uh, I don’t really have a nickname that won’t sound awkward.” He confessed with a small chuckle. “My version of Jeremy and Michael call me Jakey-Dad. Cause, y’know, I took care of them on quests and stuff. Oh, and that’s what my world is about-“ he seemed more hyper and somehow scatterbrained compared to the regular Jake. “Greek gods and quests and stuff. I’m a son of Apollo.”

Michael took a second before he knew he was gaping at this Jake. "Wait, you're a demigod?" This Jake nodded. "So you're—"

"Yeah, he's living in the Percy Jackson universe without Percy and the others existing," Techie quickly said with a smile. "I flipped out when I figured it out the first time. Remember, I suggested your nickname to be 'Apollo' or something related to you."

He made a face. “I’m not being named after my dad.” A pause. “I guess you can call me Arrow?”

"Arrow works." Michael smiled at the Madeline, who sort of stayed back. "Hey, I won't bite, I promise." Madeline hesitated before slowly making her way over, staying near the kitchen entrance as she crossed her arms more to protect herself than out of meanness over her chest. "Hi."

“Hello.” Her voice was soft and her accent was much more subtle than his version of Madeline, which actually made him think it might be real. “You can call me Scout, since I’m a Girl Scout. And... my Jeremy warned me that he and our Michael might get taken, so I know what’s going on already.” He likes the way she said their names. It sounded nice.

Michael nodded. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Scout. Your Jeremy reached out to me and the Others earlier before I came here, so he'll wanna know you're doing alright. We also have a proposed solution to your medicine since you can't get it here."

That caught her attention. “You do? How?”

Michael hesitated. "Well, I have some friends that are actually sitting in my car. Can I bring them in?"

Jenna nodded. “How many? And do I need to get more fried rice from the kitchen?”

"There's two, so two bowls of fried rice," Michael said as he got up. "Also, one of them used to be a hitman and the other is very shy, so... yeah."

“Got it. Bring them in.”

Arrow focused on Michael when he mentioned one was shy. “Are these Jeremys or Michaels?” he asked.

Michael stopped on his way to the door. "They're both Jeremys. Why?"

“Just curious,” Arrow replied. “My Jeremy has a lot of... issues after our quest, so I’m used to helping him. But he’s never been shy, so that’ll be something new.”

Techie hummed seemingly sympathetically. "Well, no matter what, we'll all help each other out. Go get them," she said before waving Michael off, smiling the whole time.

"Okay, I will," Michael said with a fake whine before going out and to the car, unlocking it as he walked over.

Sixer was alert the moment the doors unlocked. He opened his door and stepped out. “Everything okay? You need some help?” he asked, worry tinging his voice.

Michael quickly waved his concern away. "Everything's great. We just wanted you guys to get introduced. There's a Madeline in there as well as a Jake Dillinger and a Christine."

“There’s a Jake?” Sixer asked, his eyes lighting up. Net poked his head out the car.

“And a Christine? Is she nice? Is she like the Christine in this world?”

"Yes, yes, yes, and I'm not sure. I've never really talked to my Christine before," Michael said before waving them over. "Jenna's making some bowls of fried rice for you guys from what she has left."

“Yay!” Net cheered, climbing out of the car. He kept his book close, but his cheeks were rosy and his smile wide.

Sixer looked on fondly. “Okay, lead the way, Michael. Let’s meet our possible new housemates?” He turned that last part into a question, arching his eyebrow at Michael.

Michael nodded as he led them inside. "Yeah, I'm thinking they'll be that," he clarified as he held the door open for them.

Sixer walked in confidently, radiating coolness and an aura of control. He was perfectly put together in an instant and Michael sort of envied that. Net, however, was less controlled as he hunched over and scooted in nervously. His eyes were still bright and curious, but he seemed so much more nervous.

“Oh, Jere, it’s okay. Hey, I’m Arrow. It’s nice to meet you.” Arrow, though he didn’t move, instantly started fussing over Net, who seemed to relax somewhat. Okay, the Jakey-Dad nickname made a bit more sense now.

As he smiled, Michael gestured to Net and Sixer. “This is Net and Sixer. Sixer used to be a hitman and Net, well, he can choose how he wants to introduce himself. You two, this is Christine aka Techie, Arrow, and Madeline aka Scout,” he introduced before sitting down next to Jenna. “Also, this is Jenna.”

“I’ve got food, so dig in.” Jenna set the two bowls down on the table.

Sixer smiled warmly, oozing charm (Michael couldn’t tell if this was on purpose or not). “Thanks Jenna, it looks delicious.”

Net scooted forwards hesitantly and took his bowl too. “Thank you,” he murmured. “And... I’m the Jeremy linked to Host. It’s my Michael who’s being controlled by the SQUIP.” Wow, Michael didn’t expect him to confess that straight away.

Arrow’s expression softened. “It’s not your fault, or his. If there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that SQUIPs can be ridiculously convincing and overpowered. We’ll beat yours like the others and get your Michael back.” Arrow hesitated, then held open his arms. “You want a hug, little dude?” Net relaxed even more and went over. He melted into the hug instantly, and even giggled when Arrow tugged him to sit on his lap. “There aren’t enough chairs so you can sit here until you’ve finished at least. My legs can take it!”

Techie’s eyes softened and she scooted over enough to give Sixer room as she offered him the free spot. “If you want, of course.”

Sixer smiled and nodded. “Thanks, Techie.” He grinned. “So, Jenna. Did Michael get you caught up with everything?” he asked as he sat down.

Jenna nodded as she leaned back on the couch. “Yup, pretty much. Unless something happened in the car that he wasn’t aware of.”

“Nope, we were just reading,” Sixer said, indicating to Net’s book which was tucked under his arm.

“He mentioned that you might be able to help me with my heart issues?” Scout’s voice was still soft, but she was at the very least curious.

“Oh, I can’t. But Net can.” Sixer nodded to Net, who had flopped back against Arrow. They both looked quite content with the arrangement.

Scout looked to Net, though hesitated when she saw how comfortable he seemed to be with Arrow. “Hey, trust me, he isn’t scary,” Michael tried to soothe.

Scout giggled softly at that. “I doubt he ever could be with how comfy he looks.” Michael decided to not mention the encounter from last night for now. They could discuss that with time.

“I can be!” Net pouted as he held up a hand, ready to do his thing. “Okay, so you need help maintaining a regular rhythm, right?” Scout nodded. “Okay, I need to figure out how fast it should be going.” Michael felt a sudden tug in his chest before he became uncomfortably aware of his own heartbeat. It only lasted a second, and he could tell a couple of the others might have felt the same thing from the looks on their faces. Then Scout took a gasping breath and relaxed.

“Oh my goodness, that feels... _amazing_!” she cried. “I don’t think my heart has ever beat so evenly before!”

Techie’s eyes lit up as she got up and quickly but carefully made her way over to Scout. “Wait, really? Oh my goodness, we gotta celebrate then! Thank you, Net!” she thanked and cheered at the same time.

Net blushed a dark red. “It’s no problem. I just gotta- well so long as I can have a bit of focus, it’ll stay solid. And when I’m sleeping, it should be good too,” he explained softly. “You can feel the strings there, though. I don’t know how to make that feeling go away...”

“I don’t care!” Scout beamed. “It’s like I can breathe properly for the first time in my life. This is amazing. The slightly strange feelings are worth it for that!”

Techie whooped before running into the kitchen. “Jenna, you have ice cream in here, right? Everybody likes ice cream? I’m gonna make us all sundaes to celebrate!”

Michael smiled and looked at Net almost blubbering in shock. “Hey, you’re doing a great thing, Net.” Net seemed to be stunned for a moment, cheeks still dark, before he curled closer to Arrow.

Arrow chuckled fondly and held Net more securely. Sixer was also watching on with a similar expression, as well as one of relief. Evidently, he was glad that Net had someone else to take care of him too.

Michael sat back and sighed, looking around at this band of mismatched survivors. All of them except Michael and Jenna had been through hell and back. They’d all beaten their SQUIPs. Michael’s chest warmed with hope. If they could, so could he. He had more support than ever. He’d get Jeremy back, and soon, so long as he could outlast him at school next week.


	11. An Unexpected (Drunk) Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Lovelies! This chapter hurts even more than you'd expect. A lot happens, and honestly, it was hard to write. We get to find out a bit more about what's happened behind the scenes at SQUIP HQ, and we get another marker for the next SQUIP base. It's gonna hurt, it's gonna suck and it's gonna be so, so important. Enjoy!
> 
> And here is a message from my favourite person ❤️
> 
> Hey guys, Ari here!  
> So... pain. Just pain. That's it.  
> Enjoy and don't suffer too much. :' )

Michael was dreading school come Monday. Sure, he had survived the week prior, but that had been due to luck and was before the SQUIPs knew he was part of the raids. He had a sinking suspicion that Host, and therefore Jeremy, knew he was involved by now. Which only meant bad things for Michael. Jenna was on his side though, so he’d be better than if he was alone. Host didn’t know that she knew. Michael clung to that thought as he pulled into his parking spot at school, hands clutching the steering wheel in an almost death grip.

“It’ll be okay, Michael,” Jenna soothed, reaching over to rub his arm. “I’ve got your back. And that’s why you’re picking me up now, so I can watch out for you the whole time.” She smiled. “Thanks for that, by the way.”

Michael turned to her and gave the best smile he could then. “Of course. It makes your dad’s commute a little easier,” he said before slowly detaching his hands from the steering wheel. Ow.

“Breathe, Michael,” Jenna gently ordered, “And stretch out those fingers. You’ll need them for writing down your notes later.”

“I don’t even know if I’ll be able to focus enough to do that,” Michael admitted as he still stretched out his fingers regardless.

“Well I’ll take enough notes for the both of us, then.” Jenna nodded, shifting to rub his back instead. “Don’t worry, no one will mess with you so long as I’m around. I’ve got dirt on pretty much everyone in the school, and I’m a black belt regardless. They won’t try anything just in case I _would_ retaliate.”

Michael gave Jenna the best smile he could then. “Thanks, Jenna. You’re a lifesaver,” he said, which was very much true. He hoped she knew that.

“I know.” He could tell she was teasing, and that she genuinely appreciated the comment. “Now let’s go try and get some learning done.”

  
  


———

  
  


Dreaded fourth period when he didn’t have Jenna. Michael got the hell out of class when it was done and did his best to book it to Jenna’s locker so they could escape to somewhere safe for lunch. He hasn’t been able to focus at all during class, his nerves too high. He swore there were multiple kids with SQUIPs in that class that wanted him dead.

Speaking of kids with SQUIPs, Michael spotted Jeremy already by Jenna’s locker. Jenna was nowhere to be seen.

“Michael,” he called, “Come on, we need to talk.”

Michael did his best to keep himself from showing how tense he was. He wasn't sure how well that translated. "Uh, I have to meet Jenna for lunch."

Jeremy gave Michael a flat stare. “You don’t have a choice in this, Michael. Come with me now or I’m shoving a SQUIP down your throat myself and then you’ll be the one to recapture your rouge friends.”

“You can’t blame me for trying,” Michael said as he stuffed his hands into his hoodie pocket, fiddling with his phone and keys there.

Jeremy turned and started walking towards an empty classroom. Michael noted that there was a subtle sway to his movements, something vaguely unsteady that had Michael worried.

As he followed, Michael had an idea as to why. Jeremy had to be fighting being a drone as best he could. He was stubborn and did try to get his way, and he also went out of his ways to try to do good for others. He’d never want this.

Jeremy closed the door behind them and locked it shut before he— he slumped over? He was... panting? "Holy fuck that is hard to keep up." He giggled, sounding breathless and sort of out of it. What the hell was going on?

Michael’s hesitation, anxiety, and panic was overtaken and tossed aside by his care and worry for Jeremy. He was right by his best friend’s side, arms carefully around him in an instant before he guided him to sit down at a desk as he knew what was going on. He could smell it on Jeremy’s breath. He was drunk as hell right now, but how? His SQUIP wouldn’t allow that and, besides that, Jeremy hated drinking. “Hey, let’s just sit you down. Maybe I should call your dad—“

"No no no!" Jeremy cried, leaning against the chair and waving his arms around. He giggled at the motion before continuing. "I don't wanna go home. I don't have long before I can't drink anymore and I'll be back to being a drone. M'already—" He hiccuped. "M'already pushing it before I throw up."

Michael’s eyes softened and he just nodded before gently rubbing Jeremy’s back. “Okay. Okay, I won’t get you home then,” he murmured as he looked his best friend over, who was still dressed in that collared polo, gross shorts, and fuckboy shoes. It still didn’t look right or good on him.

Jeremy looked at Michael for a few seconds before he launched himself at Michael, wrapping him in a hug and sobbing. "I'm sorry!" He wailed. "I never wanted this. It overwhelmed me to agree to the upgrade and then I couldn't see you to apologize! I never wanted to leave you!"

It took a moment for Michael to process what he was hearing. His heart skipped a beat before he held on tight to Jeremy, sniffling as he tried his best to keep it together. “It’s okay, dude,” he murmured, “I’ve missed you. I know you wouldn’t leave me this long alone by choice. Doof.”

"I've missed you so much, Mikey,” Jeremy whined. "And now— now everything is so messed up and I can't even do anything to help!" He took some deep breaths. "I— I was at a party last night. And it made me have a drink to keep up appearances, but then it glitched out and I was me again. So I stole dad's alcohol to keep being me so I could talk to you today."

Michael’s heart ached as he carefully rubbed Jeremy’s back and ran his other hand through Jeremy’s hair. “I’m glad you’re you right now, but please don’t give yourself alcohol poisoning on my account. I don’t want you going to the ER or something.”

"I don't want to be a drone again," Jeremy whispered, clinging to Michael. "I never chose that. I never wanted any of this. M'so sorry, Mikey." He sniffled and took a breath. "Ask me anything you wanna know. I'll do my best to help while I can."

So many questions ran through Michael’s mind as he held Jeremy close. So many things to help them beat the SQUIP. Jeremy came first though. “What can I do to help you right now?”

Jeremy laughed, but it was harsh and bitter. “Nothing. Unless you have some Mountain Dew Red and a distraction big enough to override the preprogrammed settings in my SQUIP.” He nuzzled into the crook of Michael’s neck with a small sigh. “If I wasn’t made a drone, you could just give me some. Now, even when it’s not active, it can stop me doing certain things.” He paused. “D’you think you’ll be able to forgive me one day for all this?” he asked softly.

Michael’s eyes softened as his hand stilled in Jeremy’s hair, but only for a moment before they continued to move. “I’ve already forgiven you. I know you didn’t choose all this and you weren’t being an asshole. It’s... it was an unfortunate destiny that you took it, and I’m not gonna blame you for something we couldn’t have changed.”

“Did all the Others do the same?” he asked, sounding so small and broken. “Did they all make the mistake or was it forced on them?”

“I haven’t been able to ask everyone, but they all made mistakes with it if it wasn’t already forced upon them or if it hadn’t been some constant,” Michael said softly. “Even other versions of me made mistakes.”

“You shouldn’t be comforting me. You should hate me for what I did to you.” Jeremy sniffled. “The SQUIP got that much right...”

Michael shook his head. “I don’t. I know it’s not you, duder.” He gently shifted the hand in Jeremy’s hair to poke his forehead.

Jeremy giggled wetly and looked at Michael with teary eyes. “I’ve missed you so much, Mikey. I only realized how much you mean to me after I couldn’t see you anymore. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, but I accept your apology,” Michael said before patting his head. “I realized the same thing. I... After all this is over, we need to talk and get some therapy.”

Jeremy nodded and nuzzled back against Michael again. “We do... We can’t stay too much longer.” He sighed. “They’ll come looking for us soon. And they’ll realise I’m drunk soon too, and then i won’t be me anymore. You gotta know that it’s not me, right? It’s a SQUIP in a me suit.”

Michael laughed wetly as he nodded. “Yeah, I know, bud. You’d never say or do anything you’ve done if it wasn’t a SQUIP in a Jeremy Heere suit.”

“I wanna go back to being a loser,” Jeremy whispered. “You gotta kick its ass for me, okay Mikey? Kick Host’s butt and stop them. And then get me some Mountain Dew Red. The old stuff, not the Code Red stuff.”

“Oh, I know what Mountain Dew Red is.“ He wanted to tell Jeremy that he had actually ordered some a few months ago by happenstance and that he’d be getting them soon, actually. It... was a huge spurt of luck. It would’ve come in time for the play this weekend. “You’re talking time a soda connoisseur here.”

“I know, but...” Jeremy took a shaky breath. “Code Red works as a reboot trigger. So it lasts for about an hour. If you can somehow force feed me some, we can talk again for a bit. And then Mountain Dew Red turns them off entirely. That’s why it got discontinued in the 90’s. They knew and set it up back then.” He clung tighter to Michael. “I don’t wanna go back, Mikey.”

Michael nodded as he clung to his best friend. “I don’t wanna leave you, Remy. I miss you so much,” he said as he sniffled. Damnit, he needed to keep it together a bit longer.

“Be—before we go, I want you to have this.” Jeremy pulled back and started fumbling with a chain around his neck. Michael knew what it was. It was his Nana’s wedding ring which she left him before she passed away. Michael was honestly surprised that Jeremy was still allowed to wear it, considering how uncool the SQUIP might see it as. “I want you to look after this for me until I’m me again, properly me and not drunk me.” He couldn’t seem to undo the latch on the chain.

“Hold on.” Michael shifted and stopped Jeremy before undoing the latch for him. He put it on and tucked the necklace and ring under his shirt. “I’ll keep it safe for you. Thank you.” He took Jeremy’s hands and carefully, gently squeezed them. Michael missed being affectionate and clingy with Jeremy. Even if Net was a Jeremy, it wasn’t the same.

Jeremy immediately shifted to cling to Michael again, starting to sob just as hard as before. “I don’t think m’strong enough to let you go right now.” He whimpered. “Already did that once and it hurts so much.”

Oh god, Jeremy was gonna break him just with how sad and upset he was. It was bringing back all the sorrow Michael had been managing to suppress. “We’ll be with each other again, I promise.” He rested his head against Jeremy’s, gently squeezing him as he tried to savor this as best he could. “I love you, dude. You’re my best friend. I won’t live without you for much longer, and you with me, I promise.”

“I love you, Michael,” Jeremy echoed. “I love you so much that it hurts, but in a good way.” He sniffled and started to calm down. “I— Oh god, I almost forgot. I have stuff for you. In my bag. It’s plans and details of things that you guys can use. I dunno how much you already have but it might help.”

“Thank you, dude.” Michael wanted to kiss his head but stopped himself just short of it. This wasn’t the time.

Michael slowly moved one arm to unzip Jeremy’s backpack, which has fallen to the floor somehow. He carefully reached around, following Jeremy’s instructions on which notebook to grab. Michael’s eyes got wet when he saw it was the one Michael designed and decorated Jeremy for his birthday last year. “Doof.”

“It seemed like the best one to use since it’s the only one the SQUIP couldn’t stop me using,” Jeremy explained, scrubbing at his eyes with one hand.

“You’re still a doof,” Michael murmured as he quickly put the notebook into his own backpack with tender love and care. “Thanks”.

“Thank _you_ , Michael.” Jeremy took another breath, then reached into his now open bag and pulled out what looked to be a plain gray water bottle. Michael suspected that it wasn’t water or juice inside. “I think I can make it through this whole now ‘cause of this,” he quietly confessed, fiddling with the bottle. He wouldn’t look up at Michael, suddenly nervous. “Seeing you as me, even drunk me, makes me feel more calm and more myself again.”

Michael couldn’t help the faint smile on his lips. “Seeing you again, even if you’re drunk as a skunk, as Ina would say, is helping me a lot. I know we still have a lot that’s gonna happen, with shit hitting the fan, but I can get through it now. Seeing you reminded me that I started all this to get you back, not just to save the world and the whole fucking multiverse, which is bonkers.”

“It’s insane,” Jeremy agreed with a nod and a small smile of his own. “And like, magic exists. And there are a lot of different versions of me. Like, one of them is an angel or a demon or something, ‘cause his skin is all pitch black and gold and he has wings. It’s cool. And there’s a version of you that is definitely a werewolf.”

Well, Ina and Mama said he was a lot like a puppy, but that took it a bit too far. “Good to know, but it doesn’t mean I’m the resident furry,” he teased before ruffling Jeremy’s hair.

Jeremy whined and smacked Michael’s hand gently. “Hey, that was a phase. I was thirteen! Let it go, dude.”

Michael snickered and flicked Jeremy’s forehead. “Okay, fine, but only because I’m such a generous, radical dude.”

Jeremy flailed and pouted at him and for a moment, it was like nothing had changed. There was no danger, no magic, no multiverses or lives on the line. It was just Jeremy and Michael, as it was supposed to be.

“Yeah, that’s fair.” Jeremy sighed after a moment. “But I’m telling you dude, I think I’m onto something with the magic theory. You gotta tell me if you learn any, and then you gotta teach me some. The ones you broke out are apparently really powerful or something, and that’s why they were kept off site.” And like that, the moment was over, but Michael didn’t blame Jeremy at all. It had to end, and he was still drunk besides the fact.

Regardless, Michael kept on smiling and ruffled Jeremy’s hair again. “After all this, if I pick up anything, I’ll let you know. It’s a promise.”

“Awesome.” Jeremy actually beamed at Michael and god, it was like the sun came out again for the first time in weeks. “I wanna know all the cool skills you pick up from the cool versions of me,” he insisted, “And then, I can teach you whatever I manage to pick up too.”

Michael quickly and almost eagerly nodded. “Yeah, that sounds like it’ll be a blast.”

He wanted to say more, but he felt his phone buzz. Michael reluctantly checked it and saw Jenna was spamming him. Oh, she was freaking out, and understandably so.

“Go see Jenna. She’s probably worried about you.” Jeremy’s smile turned rueful. “I’ll be here, waiting this out for as long as I can without pickling my liver.”

Even if it tore his heart in half to do this, Michael nodded and let Jeremy go. “Okay. I...” Michael opened and closed his mouth as he got up, shouldering his backpack. “I’ll see you soon,” he supplied instead of what he wanted to say, giving Jeremy a wet and tearful smile before he hurried out. He didn’t want to cave and stay, so he had to go before he could.

“See you soon, Mikey,” Jeremy called softly after him. Michael nearly managed to catch it as the door closed. Michael scrubbed at his eyes as he hurried outside to his car, which Jenna had texted him to go in her spamming barrage.

Jenna was pacing back and forth near his beloved PT Cruiser and she looked close to tears as she spotted him and hurried over. “Michael! Oh, hun, I’ve been so worried. People said you went off with Jeremy and I thought he might have gotten you. Are you okay? Why are you crying?” This was too much at once!

Michael just offered his backpack to her before quickly unlocking his car and climbing in. He left it open for her, but he curled up in his backseat after shutting the doors, pulling his hood over his head. The world just needed to stop for a little bit.

To her credit, Jenna stopped talking. She didn’t seem to move for a moment before he heard her climb into the car and pull his weighted blanket over him. Oh, that was so helpful. When did he put this in the car?

Either way, he stayed curled up under it and let his breathing calm down. At some point, Bob Marley started playing softly in the car and Michael could slowly feel himself begin to relax. Okay, yeah, that was good.

Jenna didn’t say another word as Michael let himself just exist, and he wasn’t even sure where she was or if she were still there. He just knew he was grateful to have such a kind and attentive friend. Jenna really deserved better than she had gotten in the past.

After all this, Michel would make sure Jenna and Jeremy got along. They’d definitely get along, but he wanted to make sure of it. She was sweet and so was he. They could help boost each other. That would be perfect. Their little group of three misfits who all fit together. Maybe having another person to talk to would help Jeremy feel more relaxed too.

Michael exhaled shakily as he felt himself come to reality again. He wasn’t sure how long had passed, but he felt ready for a long nap. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around. Okay, he was still in his car, and Jenna was sitting in the driver’s seat. She was typing something on her phone, as usual, but it didn’t have the same sort of urgency that he was used to seeing from her.

Ever so slowly, Michael shifted to sit up. He slowly pushed his hood back and rubbed at his eyes to try to wake himself up. “Jenna?”

“Hey hun.” Jenna looked over with a soft smile, locking her phone almost instantly. “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” he said with a sore and raw-sounding grunt. “Tired though. I could nap until tomorrow.”

“Well, you’ll get that chance. I’ve got us both off until after the play.” Wait, what?

Michael looked right at her with wide eyes, getting hit with preverbal whiplash. “Wait, you did _what_? Explain.”

“I pulled in some favors,” she started. “We both have until next week off. Approved absences so it doesn’t count against us, as there are some people collecting notes for us too, so we won’t miss out on anything.” Jenna paused, her expression serious. “This is getting too dangerous for you to stay at school, and we’re working on a timer.”

A timer? “In regards to the SQUIPs or the Others with their glitches?”

“Both.” Jenna shook her head. “Sixer’s glitching more, and everyone except Net have had their first at least. They have until Sunday, latest. And the SQUIPs are moving up their plans.”

Oh no. Michael’s heart ached as he properly sat up. “Did you find out from Jeremy’s notes? What do they say?”

“They’re stepping up the pace. They’re starting the take over for this world at the play. It’s always at the play.” Jenna sighed and rubbed her eyes. “Either way, we have until then to take out Host. And we start tonight.”

Michael nodded before rubbing his own eyes. Oh fuck. “What are we gonna tell our parents? Are we staying at our own houses or at the abandoned house or—“

“I’ve got it all under control,” Jenna soothed. “Just leave it to me, Michael, I’ll explain everything later. For now, you wanna tell me what just happened? And how you got this information?” She gestured to the notebook Jeremy had given him, which was sitting innocently on the passenger’s seat.

He looked to the notebook and his heart ached again. Michael took a few deep breaths before briefly explaining what happened to Jenna. God, he missed Jeremy.

“So he’s been fighting it from the beginning?” Jenna asked after a moment, her voice soft and sad.

“Yeah,” Michael said before rubbing his eyes again.

Jenna paused, then sighed. “Strap up. We’ll head to the house, okay? You get some rest.”

Michael nodded before stopping. “I have to drive or I’ll get carsick,” he told her.

“Okay then,” Jenna conceded. “Well then you’re napping as soon as we get there.” She looked at him hard. “C’mon, let’s swap out.”

After one more nod, Michael carefully switched, taking the driver’s seat while Jenna sat in the passenger's seat. “I’m guessing the others know we’re coming?”

“I was texting Sixer while you processed,” Jenna answered with a nod.

“How’d you get his number?” Michael asked as he buckled in before backing out.

“He gave it to me when you picked up Arrow, Techie and Scout,” Jenna explained, starting to type on her phone again. “They’ve settled in great, by the way. Sixer and Arrow like having sparring partners again.”

Michael’s eyes softened as he nodded. “That’s good,” he said as he started to head out of the parking lot and back to the house.

“I’m hoping I’ll get to watch.” Jenna sounded like she was smiling. “Maybe they’ll let me join in and take it easy on me.”

“Oh, I’m sure they’d let you. That would be great,” Michael said as he turned down the road.

“Nice.” Jenna grinned. “Now, am I okay to turn up the music or do you want it to stay quiet?”

Michael glanced at her and nodded. “You can turn it up. I can handle it.”

"Awesome."

  
  


Michael wasn’t really sure how he made it to the house. Sure, he was conscious, but he was also exhausted and burned out after today. Jenna seemed to understand that and didn’t push for conversation, but even then Michael was struggling. By the time he put the car into park, he was dead on his feet.

The door was unlocked, as expected, and Michael plodded in. He was a little surprised when no one came to greet them. In fact, it was like the house had been abandoned.

“So this is where they’ve been staying? Huh. Looks better than I thought in here.” Jenna hummed as she walked in behind Michael.

“They’ve added to it,” Michael briefly explained as he looked around. Surely someone was downstairs at least. “Hello?”

Michael didn’t hear a response to his call. At least, not directly. Instead, he heard what sounded almost like... cheering?

He followed the noise, his curiosity enough to at least mask the exhaustion for a while. The cheering, and it was cheering, seemed to be coming from the back room. Sixer’s training room.

Michael poked his head in to see everyone gathered at the edge of the room while Sixer and Arrow sparred. They had wooden swords and were trading blows and blocks in an almost deadly, hypnotic dance. Michael didn’t know Jeremy, even one like Sixer, could ever look so... powerful. Or so in control and graceful.

The others seemed to be cheering on their favorite of the two and Michael thought he even saw Major placing a bet off to the side.

Michael wanted to stay to the side, all quiet and not disrupting anything, but Techie noticed him. She seemed to definitely carry a heavy ‘mom friend’ vibe to her. She had told him before how she helped care for her Jeremy when her Michael took the SQUIP and became a literal human SQUIP. Her Jeremy’s human SQUIP. Yeah, that sounded messy.

“Hey, come sit down,” she softly insisted, coming over and taking Michael’s arm oh so gently. “Hi Jenna.”

“Hey.” Jenna whispered back, grinning and watching the two in the middle of the room spar. It seemed like this was a good way for everyone to let off steam, considering how into this the group was getting. Well, Jeremy had always been competitive.

Michael sat down on one of the new couches (when did Sixer get this?) with Techie. As soon as he sat down, Michael shut his eyes on instinct. God, he was ready to sleep on this thing.

Something made him open his eyes just to watch for a moment more. He couldn’t explain it, it was just a sudden need.

He was glad he looked.

Everything seemed to be going perfectly for Sixer, then he suddenly stiffened and straightened up. His body glitched and flickered in a multitude of colours before he collapsed to the ground, panting hard. His wooden sword clattered next to him, piercing the now-silent room like a gunshot.

In an instant, any tiredness Michael held was momentarily gone as he hurried down and by Sixer’s side. He was sure someone else did the same. “Sixer? Hey, let me know you’re conscious.”

“Wha— Michael?” Sixer was still panting but he looked up at Michael blearily. “When did you get here?”

“Recently, but that doesn’t matter.” Michae looked around at everyone. “I need him to lie down and some water. He needs to get comfortable.”

The others all scrambled to get it sorted and Michael became aware that it was Arrow kneeling next to him. “I’ll carry him to his room, yeah?” he offered softly, clearly defaulting to Michael with this.

Michael nodded as he ran a hand through his hair. “You know something about medicine and healing, yeah? ‘Cause of your dad,” he clarified as he stood. Apollo was also the god of medicine? Or was it Hermes? No, definitely Apollo.

Arrow touched Sixer’s forehead before reaching down and gently pressing on his chest. Sixer’s breathing calmed a little. “Yeah, and I’ve got some healing abilities too. I can already tell you he’s stable for now, but totally drained.” As he spoke, Arrow scooped Sixer up into his arms as easily as he might pick up a pillow. Wow, he was stro— Focus, Michael.

“Okay. Yeah, he’ll need rest and we’ll have to make dinner or something,” Michael said, fiddling with his fingers as he stood by Arrow’s side.

“I’ll get it sorted.” Arrow nodded. “In the meantime, do you need a nap? You look exhausted too, Michael.”

Michael hesitated. “Yes, but I can wait. This is more important.”

“I can make sure he’s taken care of,” Arrow insisted as they started walking. “You get some rest. We’ll get you up for dinner if you’re not already awake.”

“I... Okay, fine. Only because I know you and the others will probably tie me down to the bed if I don’t.”

“You bet your ass we will.” Arrow grinned tiredly. “Go get some rest, Michael. We’ll still be here after.”

Michael sighed before rubbing his eyes, following Arrow upstairs. "Okay. You better let me help you guys out after I wake up though."

“Oh, we will, don’t worry.” Arrow nodded. “We’re moving up the raid. It’ll be tonight, if Sixer is okay.” Michael glanced down at Sixer and found him worryingly passed out.

“Who’s going to the raid, and where is it at?” Since it wasn’t going to be for a few days, Michael hadn’t been told the details just yet.

"Me, Sixer, Net and Scout since we can't separate them, Jinx and possibly Moon. We've got a van bus thing sorted out to use so we don't need to worry about your car being recognized or all of us not fitting." Arrow nodded to himself. "Techie, Major and Jenna will stay here to look after everyone else."

Michael nodded in understanding. "I don't know how many should go though, even if it's a big raid. Only the people who need to should go," he pointed out as he stopped outside of the room Arrow nodded to.

Arrow hesitated, then nodded again. “Okay. Moon will stay behind, but we can’t leave Scout because of Net, and we can’t leave Jinx because of the defenses this time.” He glanced down at Sixer, adjusting his hold slightly but not leaving yet. “Jenna found out about it from Jeremy’s notebook. We need him and Ghost with us.”

“I haven’t had a chance to read through it yet, but good to know,” Michael murmured as he rubbed his face with his open hand.

“We’ll give you a full briefing when you’re awake,” Jenna offered, appearing from seemingly nowhere. “For now, Michael, you get some rest. I’ll start coordinating with everyone and updating them with the details.”

“Thanks, Jenna.” Arrow smiled and nodded again.

Michael’s eyes softened and he nodded before opening the door. “Thanks. You’re a lifesaver, Jenna.”

“I know.” Jenna grinned. “Now get some sleep, nerd, we’ve got lots to do later.”

“Okay.” Michael gave the two a tired smile before going into the room, shutting the door behind himself.

There were two beds here, one being an air mattress. He flopped down onto that one, somewhat lying and curling up under the blankets there as he shut his eyes. Michael didn’t want to think about the chaos that was going to break loose soon, so he didn’t and let sleep take him for now instead.


	12. Third Time's The Charm... Maybe. Maybe Not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Lovelies! So, after such a hopeful chapter last time, it's about time that we get down to business, right? Raid 3 is going to present our boys with even more new challenges and probably traumatise them in new and exciting ways :') Here's hoping they're up for the challenge. Enjoy!
> 
> And now, a word from my Valentine ❤️
> 
> Hey guys, Ari here!  
> So... third time's the charm, right? That's a saying for a reason so it has to be true, right?  
> Well, why don't you guys read and see? :' ) Enjoy!

After a quick but filling dinner, Michael found himself driving everyone who needed to come on this raid in a van. Net had told him that they couldn’t drive Michael’s Cruiser anymore since they knew he drove them to the raids. He felt naked and gross and super weird driving a new car. He had only ever driven his Cruiser before. It felt like he was doing something taboo and he wasn’t used to the extra weight and length of the van, as well as the extra height.

Yeah, he hated this, even if it was a necessity. It didn’t even have a CD player! CD players on cars weren’t outdated yet, right?

Luckily, it wasn’t going to be a massively long drive, so Michael thought he could cope. Maybe.

“Okay, Michael, let’s get you up to speed,” Sixer said from the passenger seat. He was paler than usual, but he insisted he was still fine for the raid so long as he didn’t have to maintain a fight for more than a few minutes. “This base has extra defenses. Host unlocked a couple of the Others and set them up as guards, specifically ones who can use magic. That’s why we have Jinx, to help break through the defenses and deal with any spells.”

Oh _great_. “So now there’s magic involved. Fantastic.” Then Michael pauses. “So they’re SQUIPed too?”

“Yeah.” Sixer nodded grimly. “It’s... a lot. They weren’t before in their worlds, but they are now. And you’ll likely be able to feel it when we get closer if one of them is your Other.” Wait, what?

Michael glanced at Sixer for just a moment in disbelief. “Wait, one of the Michaels is SQUIPed?”

“Possibly.” Sixer didn’t sound too happy about it either. “Jeremy didn’t know which two Others were taken to be guards, just that they were magic. But there is a high probability that one of them is a Michael, yes.”

“Okay...” Michael focused back on the road but couldn’t help but ask, “What else are we going to be facing here?”

“We’re not totally sure, honestly. It’s a bigger facility, which is why it theoretically has more people, but there weren’t any plans for it or any description. Even your Jeremy didn’t know, and he’s pretty high level for a drone.”

Michael hummed softly and nodded before turning off the road as per the GPS directions from his phone. “But we’re rescuing people. Do you think this’ll be enough to have Host weakened enough for our final attack?” Even if he didn’t know how many Host had, there was no way what they were doing wasn’t having an effect. They had to be desperate at this point to SQUIP some of what they viewed as power resources to stop them.

“Hopefully.” Sixer nodded. “Maybe. We’ll have to see.” He reached into his jacket as he stared at the dark, evening sky. Then he flinched and pulled his hand back, shaking his head. “Regardless, I don’t think we have much of a choice. I’m not going to last much longer. Not as I am.”

Michael glanced to the back and saw the others were all occupied, discussing this-and-thats. Once he was sure no one else could hear, Michael asked, “You’re talking about the Mask, right?”

“Yeah,” Sixer answered softly after a moment. “If I used it, I wouldn’t have any issues with glitching or anything. It sort of... exists in a reality of its own. But I can’t.” He sighed. “Not again. Not when I was so close to moving past it.”

“How _did_ you try to move past it?” Michael asked. It didn’t really seem like he did, but Michael had only just entered Sixer’s situation. Relapses did happen and they weren’t a sign of weaknesses or backwards progress. That was what Ina told him.

“We threw it into a river. It got swept away,” Sixer admitted. “When I realized how far gone we were, I knew we had to be rid of it.”

Michael nodded as he thought it over. “But you guys didn’t move past it then? It was still haunting you when you got rid of it,” he softly pointed out.

“It was that or I watched my best friend die,” Sixer replied. It was the closest thing Michael had heard to a snap from him. “We got therapy. We’ve been recovering. We’ve been moving past it.”

“I’m not disagreeing with what you did, I promise. I just...” Michael didn’t want to argue or start something accidentally with Sixer, especially when he wasn’t feeling his best. “I remember Mama telling me how she lost her best friend to addiction. He was like an uncle to me when I was a little kid, and I didn’t know him for long, but he was great. It just... Your situation seems similar to his, from what Mama told me.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Sixer murmured, not looking over. “I just... magic makes everything more complicated. I tried everything else I could before we threw it away, including locking the mask away. It almost drove us mad, the both of us. Mich- my Michael, he was barely coherent after three days. He was ready to fight me for the keys to it before I snapped him out of it.” Oh god, that sounded horrible. For Sixer and for his Michael. “I knew then that we had to cut off the temptation, and, being who I am, the only way to do that was to get rid of it entirely.”

Michael nodded in understanding. “There was nothing else you could do?”

“Nope. Anywhere else it went, I’d be able to track it one way or another.” He sighed heavily. “Being the best hitman in the country made things challenging. It had to be left to chance, make it too hard to track before the addiction was broken.”

“I...” Michael didn’t know enough about addiction to be able to offer advice. He had ideas, but he had no idea if they were sound or not, especially with magic on top of everything else. “There isn’t a way to break the addiction this magic has on you?”

“The only records I found were when people never saw it again,” Sixer whispered. When Michael glanced over, he noted that his eyes were closed. “When people didn’t get rid of it entirely... they didn’t last long after that.”

“Well, maybe there’s a way we can change that,” Michael offered. “We got a lot of magic users. Well, we have two, technically three. They could help.”

“Yeah,” Sixer agreed softly. “Maybe. Hopefully we can figure this out...”

Michael nodded in agreement. “We _will_ figure this out,” he said with as much strength as he could muster. Wow, it was more than he thought. He really sounded confident.

Sixer looked up at him properly, and from Michael’s quick glance over, he could see the pride and calm that seemed to wash over Sixer from his words. “Thanks, Michael.”

“Of course,” Michael said before taking another turn. They were going down a long road but the GPS said when they hit the end of the road, they would have arrived.

The chatter from the back died down after a moment when everyone realised where they were. Sixer took a breath, then took charge.

“Jinx, Ghost, start getting a read on what we’re up against.” Jinx nodded and started whispering. Whether it was to himself or Ghost was unclear.

Michael slowed their drive up so the two had more time to get a read. “How’s everyone else doing back there?”

“As good as we can be, I think,” Scout offered, sounding a bit unsure.

“I’ll take care of you, Scout. Don’t worry!” Net chirped, sounding much more upbeat than Michael expected.

“We all will,” Sixer agreed.

Scout looked worried still. “What am I even supposed to do? I’m not helpful in a magical fight,” she pointed out.

“You know how to defend yourself and can help us know when Net is in trouble since he’s helping regulate your heart,” Arrow pointed out as he ruffled her hair. Scout pouted and her cheeks got a little darker from what Michael saw when glancing back, but she didn’t argue.

Jinx suddenly spoke up. “There are wards up.” Something about his voice was weird, but Michael couldn’t look back far enough to see what was happening. “They’re not like anything I’ve ever seen before, but I can take them down. I just need some time to get to know this magic type.”

“Should we stay back and in the van for a little bit, away from the ward, before we head in?” Michael offered as he slowed the van to a near-stop.

“Yes,” Jinx said with a deep exhale. “Yes. This magic is weird. And some of it is... British? Yeah, that’s the right word. Some of it is at the very least European in origin, if not actually British.”

Michael pulled the van to the side, stopping and putting it in park before glancing back at Jinx. "European and British?"

"What, like Harry Potter?" Scout casually threw out as she fiddled with her fingers and picked at her chipping nail polish.

“Harry— Oh, right! Um... yeah, actually.” Wait, what? “Yeah, it feels like Harry Potter magic.” He hesitated. “And something else. It’s... less chaotic than my world’s magic but something less organized than the Harry Potter magic.” Jinx blinked a few times as his eyes regained focus. “It’s so strange. They’re not happy, either. They hate the SQUIPs as much as my world’s magic does.”

“You’re talking about the magic as if it’s alive.” Sixer cocked his head, clearly curious.

“That’s because they are. Anyone who tried to tell you it’s not is lying.”

Okay, so he was talking about the magic itself as an entity, not the Others. God, this was a bit confusing. "So the magics of both worlds hate SQUIPs, but the Others who wield the magic are SQUIPed so they're being forced to use their magic against us," Michael summarized.

“Exactly.” Jinx nodded, closing his eyes again. He raised his hands, palm up, and faced the direction of the facility. Two orbs of what looked like coloured sparks shot through the side of the car (phased through it somehow) and hovered over his hands. One was blue with a silver and gold fire in the center. The other was gold and bright and beautiful. “Hello, you two,” Jinx breathed.

Everyone stared at the orbs with awe, even Arrow who definitely had to have experience with magic. "What are you going to do with them?" Scout asked oh so gently, as if speaking at a normal volume would disrupt the moment.

Jinx took a deep breath in and opened his eyes. They weren’t the familiar dark blue that Michael had come to associate with Jinx, they had been entirely consumed by the colors of the magic. He looked up at something and smiled.

“I’ll share it,” he whispered and the orbs seemed to shimmer and merge into his hands. They stopped half way down and then seemed to vanish from the top down. Michael caught a shimmer of a shape in front of Jinx, the faint shade of red, the ghost of a smile, then Jinx breathed out again and relaxed. He closed his eyes, the orbs gone. “Everyone, get your hands on me.”

Scout was the only one who hesitated before everyone rested their hand on some part of Jinx. It took Michael and Sixer a minute longer, shifting from the front seat to the back to do so.

Jinx took a breath, then released it. Michael was suddenly overwhelmed with a sudden rush of energy, it almost made him feel dizzy from the sheer amount suddenly coursing through his body.

Then it settled and Jinx opened his eyes. They were back to normal, and he was smiling. "There." Jinx nodded. "You can now work with those magics."

“Wait, I can do magic now?” Scout asked with wide eyes, looking over her hands with awe.

"Yes. Well, actually it just opened you up to it. Since you already could, your body was just resistant since it's not your universe's magic." Jinx paused, then looked up and to the side. "Did I get that right?" He paused again, then nodded. "Yeah, okay. That's it."

"So wait, if we're open to it does that mean we'll be more affected?" Sixer asked seriously. Jinx shook his head.

"No, quite the opposite. We'll be more resistant since the magics will be able to assist us in overcoming any spells thrown at us."

Michael glanced at Sixer with a warm and encouraging smile before looking back at Jinx. “Would the magic you just opened us up to be able to help with other sorts of spells and curses, or is that stretching it out too thin?”

“I’d say it would depend on the type of magic,” Arrow thought out loud as he glanced at Jinx.

Jinx paused, then nodded. “Yeah, it’ll depend on how intensive the spells are,” he confirmed. “But yes, at the very least you’ll be able to access some of the magic to use yourself.”

“If you need help healing something, I could try using my own healing magic,” Arrow offered as he looked at Michael and Sixer. “After all this, of course.”

“Thanks, dude.” Sixer grinned. “So, we stay close. Ghost and Jinx, you’ll be our main defence here. I’ll need you both to look out for the Others and see if there’s anything we can do to avoid them.” Sixer looked at Net and Scout. “You’ll be taking point on this one, guys. I’ll need you to lead us to the Tube Room so we can get them out. Michael, Arrow, and I will be in the middle, watching for threats and protecting Net and Scout.”

Everyone nodded as they seemed to understand the plan. “How many people are we rescuing this time, by the way?” Michael asked as he looked to Sixer.

“We’re not one hundred percent sure, hence the van, but we think it might be four.”

“Is that including the SQUIPed individuals? I’m guessing not,” Michael said.

Sixer shook his head. “We don’t have the tools to free them right now.” It seemed like it pained him to say that, but then he took a breath and was back in leader mode. “Everyone understand their positions?”

Everyone nodded as Michael remembered something. “After this, I gotta tell you something,” Michael said, specifically to Sixer. He wanted to tell Net too, but he was too far away to whisper this too. He needed to go back home when his soda delivery arrived.

Sixer nodded subtly. “Okay, let’s get moving.”

  
  


It only took a few minutes of driving for Michael to make it to the parking lot of the HQ. It seemed normal with no guards or anything outside. There were plenty of cars in the lot, but Michael parked in a close-enough spot to the entrance. Okay, it was go time.

Everyone scrambled out of the van and followed Net when he lead them around the back of the building. “Sixer, you’ll need to hack the locks again. Can you do that?” he whispered. Sixer nodded and grinned.

“Okay, the two are deeper in the building. Probably near the Tube room. Ghost says they’re just... standing there. Like Enforcers.” Jinx shuddered as they walked. Michael decided not to press the topic.

Scout glanced nervously at Jinx, but she seemed to calm down when Net offered his hand to her. She took it and gave Net a smile, though she pouted when Arrow reached forward and ruffled her hair. “What? I’m still in the middle,” Arrow insisted with a grin before falling back beside Sixer and Michael.

Net giggled at that but focused on the task at hand. He stopped them by a seemingly regular stretch of wall. For a moment, nothing happened, then Net held up his hand and black strings dripping in what looked to be ink shot from his fingertips and pressed against the concrete. An outline of a door formed, and a patch of stone slid back to reveal a keypad.

“Okay, Sixer, you’re up.” Sixer hurried forward as the stings vanished, leaving everyone else in shock.

“How did you know that was there?” Michael asked, though he had an idea as to how.

“I sort of... felt it. I could feel Host’s strings on it, so I just tugged at them.”

Okay, not what Michael thought, but it worked. “Do you feel a lot of Host’s strings around here?” Michael asked as Sixer seemed to finish unlocking the door.

“Yeah, loads.” Net nodded. “He’s got them everywhere. Like a spider’s web almost...” Net shuddered and rubbed his arms. “I’ll stop anyone walking into them, though. Who knows what that could do if someone isn’t ready for it.”

Scout looked at Net with worried eyes. “Wait, if we run into them, Host can control us?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted softly. “But I won’t let anyone touch them, just to be sure.”

“Better to be safe than sorry,” Arrow agreed as the door slid open. “After you two.”

Net nodded and started in. “Everyone stay behind me. Single file when possible. I’ll lead us around the strings.”

Everyone nodded, getting into a line and following Net in. Scout still stayed close to Net, holding his hand still as they walked forward. Michael was shocked by how much Net weaved around what seemed to be an otherwise empty corridor. How much of this place had Host infected? And was that where there seemed to only be the two guards.

“Arrow, watch out!” Net cried, throwing his arm out as Arrow was jerked back against the wall somehow. A single black tear dripped down Net’s face as he panted. “One of the strings moved towards you. He knows we’re here.”

“Thanks for the save,” Arrow said before slowly moving back, only following Net’s directions. As he did so, Scout gently wiped the tear from Net’s face.

“Thanks,” Net said and he gave her a shaky smile before continuing onwards.

They all followed Net, stopping and shifting every so often. The shifts and sidesteps they’d have to do were abrupt, but so far, there weren’t any problems.

So far.

Then, Michael tripped. He wasn’t sure on what, he could have just tripped over his feet, but he fell against something bouncy. In an instant, he was limp against whatever was holding him up and a voice not unlike his own was echoing in his head.

“So you _are_ taking part in these.” The voice hummed. “I was wondering if you did before. Well, now you’re mine. Do you want to go see Jeremy, puppet? You want to get to be with the real deal again?” He couldn’t hear anything but the voice. He couldn’t even remember where he was or what he was doing. He just... relaxed against the strings.

He wanted to say ‘yes’ to the voice, but he felt something else ring in his head. Michael wasn’t a puppet. He was his own person. This wasn’t right. And he had been doing something before this, right?

He felt his arms drawn upwards, being tugged around like they were moved by strings. That made sense, right? He was supposed to be a puppet according to the voice. Was it his voice? It sounded like his voice. If it was his voice, then why was he resisting this? Why didn’t he want to be a puppet?

It didn’t sound like his voice though, not completely. It was layered with another voice. This debate was like he was arguing with another person, not with himself. Was there another voice in his head that wasn’t his? That must be it. Maybe if he opened his eyes (when had he closed them?) he could figure things out a bit better.

Someone was holding Michael’s head up. That someone was Jeremy, who was crying big, black tears as he tugged at something above Michael. Wait, not Jeremy. _Net_. Michael couldn’t hear what Net was saying, but he was clearly talking, or maybe crying.

“Don’t focus on him, focus on me Michael,” the voice insisted. “If you don’t, you won’t get to see Jeremy. He misses you so much, Michael.”

Oh god, he missed Jeremy. Net was crying though, almost seemed to be yelling for him and his attention. Wait, _for_ him? What?

Michael wanted to be back with Jeremy, but Net needed him. Net was upset and crying. Something was telling him he needed to worry about Net first, even if he wanted Jeremy (why couldn’t he see Jeremy right now anyway?).

“Net?” Michael managed to croak out.

“Michael.” Net sounded so scared but so relieved at the same time. “You gotta—” He sniffled. “You gotta focus on me! He’s gonna hurt us! He’s gonna take me away again! Don’t listen to him!” Michael noticed that Net’s hands were being covered in a black, runny ink as he kept tugging at something. Net didn’t seem to care.

Someone was going to take Net away? And they wanted to hurt him? “I— Who?” Michael tried to move his hands (he could do that, right?) so he could take Net’s. He needed to get the ink off of them.

“Host!” Net cried, tugging on the strings above Michael so hard he almost fell over with the effort.

Host? Why did that sound familiar—

Wait, Host? Strings above him? Being a puppet?

Shit! Michael’s eyes widened as he tried to break himself free as well from the strings. “Ah! I didn’t even realize— Ow!”

Net cringed but his expression became more focused, even as he kept sniffling. “Focus on me, Mikey. Don’t listen to him.” He nodded before flailing with one hand. “Sixer, I need a knife. Mikey, this will hurt but it’ll make it quick, okay?”

Michael didn’t know what Net meant or what was happening, but Michael just nodded as his wrists started aching. The voice of Host faded into the back of his mind. “Oh— Okay.”

Net took the knife from Sixer and grabbed the strings above Michael. He held them in a bunch and took a breath. “Cut these strings, just like me,” he muttered, seemingly to himself. “Okay, three, two, one, go!” He cut through the strings cleanly in one quick motion.

There was a sharp pain in his arms up to his fingers, but Michael dropped to the ground with a huff. Okay, that really fucking hurt.

Michael heard something clatter told the ground as Net grabbed Michael and tried to support him, as best he could. “Are you okay, Mikey?”

Michael managed to nod as the tingling in his head became known to him. It was starting to subside though. “Yeah, I think so,” he muttered as he rubbed his temple.

“I’m so sorry I missed it. He moved and I— I couldn’t warn in time.” Net helped Michael sit down. “I'll be right back. Scout, look after Michael.” Net picked up the knife and hurried off.

Scout carefully wrapped an arm around Michael, which he was grateful for. “Just be sure to breathe,” she softly instructed as she looked out at something. Michael couldn’t focus on it yet, so he just kept breathing.

There was a cry of pain, followed by gentle murmuring. Another one, followed by the same gentle murmurs and suddenly, Net was back. “Sorry, Mikey, I had to help Arrow and Jinx out of the strings too.” He looked down at his hands. “M’all goopy, so I won’t hug you right now. I’ll clean up later.”

Michael nodded as he focused on Net. “It’s okay,” he assured Net. It took him a moment of focusing to ask, “Is there more going on ‘sides the strings?”

“Nothing yet.” Net shook his head. “But I’ll bet the other two are on their way now to get us while we’re down.”

“Yeah, probably.” Michael groaned as he tried to rub away the tingling, which seemed to actually be working.

“I’ll keep lookout until you guys are back on your feet. Scout, are you good to make sure everyone is taken care of while Sixer and I coordinate?”

“Oh, uh, yeah. I’ll do my best,” Scout promised as she looked at Net.

“You’ll be great, Scout.” Net beamed before looking at Michael again. “Focus on coming back to reality. Memories are useful to help focus on what’s real,” he recommended gently.

Okay, that made sense. “I will. Thanks,” Michael murmured before Net got up and left. Okay, memories.

It took a second for Michael to be able to bring forward any sort of memories. Then he remembered something, his afternoon meet-up with Jeremy. How much it hurt, how much he missed him, how much he needed to save his Jeremy.

Jeremy had gotten himself drunk and stayed drunk just so they could talk. So he wouldn’t be a drone and look through Michael. He gathered a lot of intel for them, risked so much just for him. God, he loved Jeremy and his heart ached.

It made him think that maybe Sixer and Siren and everyone else had been right: maybe Jeremy _did_ have feelings for him. Maybe he was just realizing it, like how Michael had just been realizing it too.

Michael didn’t want to project though. Even if he didn’t though, Michael just missed him. He wanted his best friend back and free from all this bullshit. No one deserved to go through this, especially Jeremy.

When Michael opened his eyes (he closed them again?) he found himself much more grounded and present. The weird tingling was gone from his body and he didn’t feel so... goopy as before. He was more solid for sure.

He looked over at Scout, who was looking over Arrow and Jinx now. They both seemed a lot more out of it than Michael had been before. She seemed to be talking to them, to try to keep them present.

He wanted to help them, but wasn’t sure if he could. He wasn’t sure if he could even move right now, if he were honest.

“We’ve got company!” Looks like he wasn’t going to get a choice in this. Net and Sixer raced around the corner. “The Jeremy is a freaking dragon! We need to get up and be ready for a fight!”

Michael felt himself get up in shock. “Wait, a dragon?!”

“He’s got scales and wings so yeah, a dragon.” Sixer nodded, spinning in place and facing the corner. “And Michael, brace yourself. One of them is a Michael.” Oh shit, was that the tingling feeling that he had earlier? Sixer did mention that he’d feel it if a Michael nearby was SQUIPed.

Michael tried to think of what he could do as he was suddenly handed a knife. He couldn’t hurt someone! He was still getting his bearings too, and he didn’t know how to use magic.

Michael found the knife was suddenly pulled away from his hand and dropped on the floor. His hands were guided to raise and pointed palms-forward by some other force.

Before he could freak out, Michael felt a warm presence surround him. Someone ruffled his hair and tugged on the back of his hood. Right, Ghost. His magic-made self. Was he suggesting he could do magic too? But he didn’t know anything.

His palms tingled a little and Michael heard a whisper next to his ear. “Just think about what you want to do. You know Harry Potter. You know the spells.”

God, he did. Michael wasn’t sure it would work, but he heard rapid footsteps approaching. He needed to know. There was Stupefy, Expelliarmus, Confundo. “Lumos,” he whispered, and his eyes widened as there was light forming in the palm of his hands. Oh shit!

“It likes you, Michael.” That had to be Ghost talking. “Now, just focus. The magic will guide you.”

Michael nodded and looked forward, trying to prepare himself for who they were going to face.

Around the corner came an older Michael that had on a yellow-and-black scarf—Wait, so he was a Hufflepuff? He knew it!— and a wand at the ready, his eyes vacant and empty with blue encompassing them.

Next to him was a Jeremy that yup, totally had wings and scales. He was a bit shorter than the other Jeremys so far, but he made up for it with his terrifying aura. It didn’t match Sixer’s aura, but it was a different kind of scary.

Before either one could do anything, Michael pointed his hand at his Hogwarts self and cried out, “Expelliarmus!” The wand flew from the other one’s hand and into his own. Ho. Ly. Shit!

“So you’re a wizard too? I thought this world didn’t have magic.” Woah, he didn’t sound British, but he sure as hell didn’t sound pure American either. What even was that accent? “Good thing my Jeremy taught me this. Stupefy!” A bolt of red light shot the wizard Michael’s hand and almost hit Michael.

“Careful, Hogwarts, your aim is a bit off,” the dragon Jeremy warned. His voice was strangely accented in a way Michael couldn’t place. It was very pleasant to hear though. “We don’t want to hurt them, just bring them in.”

Michael couldn’t help but snort as he looked at who was seemingly called Hogwarts. “Really? That’s the creative nickname the SQUIPs gave you? I’m so sorry,” he said. As Hogwarts looked at Michael in shock, he waved the wand. “Stupefy!” The bolt of red light shot out and almost hit Hogwarts. He tried again, sending another bolt and another.

He kept missing but it put Hogwarts on the defensive at the very least. The dragon Jeremy didn’t seem to be having as much trouble with Sixer, though. He had a metal pole and the two were fighting hand to hand, well hand to weapon. Sixer had grabbed some loose pipe to use as the same sort of weapon and they seemed to be at the same sort of level in terms of skill.

As he went, Michael did his best to keep Hogwarts on the defensive. He felt a surge of magic building up in his free hand, but he let it continue to build instead of use it. Michael dodged a few blows Hogwarts tried to deal himself, but he kept his plan in mind. Hopefully it worked.

Just as Hogwarts finished sending another Stuptefy, Michael sent one and predicted that Hogwarts would go left. Good. At the same time as Hogwarts dodged, Michael sent another Stuptefy spell through his free hand at where Hogwarts would land with all the built up magic.

It hit him square in the chest and Hogwarts was instantly knocked out. Michael feel a twinge of sympathy (as well as a lot of weirdness at the fact that it was his Other he just knocked out) but he ignored it and turned to Sixer.

The two older Jeremys were still locked in combat, but Sixer was clearly bruised and maybe a little scorched too if the smouldering burn on his collar was anything to go by. The dragon Jeremy, though, seemed to be struggling too. Frost seemed to be clinging to his hair, and it got worse when Sixer puffed up his cheeks and blew some air at him.

Michael waited until they were pushing against each other’s weapons before hitting the dragon Jeremy with the same spell. It hit him in the side before he dropped. Michael let out a heavy sigh of relief before hurrying over to Sixer.

Sixer was panting and started rolling his shoulders with a small grunt. “Thanks, Michael. He really knew how to use that thing and he was freaking strong.”

“Yeah, of course,” Michael said before feeing Ghost ruffle his hair again. “Where’s Net?”

“Over here!” Michael looked over and saw Net standing behind a sort of wall of goopy, black strings. “I was taking care of Scout, Arrow, and Jinx.” He waved his hands and the strings vanished. He had clearly defined, black tear tracks on his cheeks and he had to blink a few times to get his eyes to go back to normal from the pure white that they were.

Michael’s eyes widened as he hurried over. When he looked at Arrow and Jinx, he noticed just how out of it they were. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say they were disassociated with the world itself. Well, maybe they still were. They were at least focusing on Scout whenever she called for their attention.

For now, Michael took his hands and carefully wiped away the tears on his face. “Thanks, bud,” he murmured as he cleaned off Net’s face.

He managed to get most of the black tears off Net’s face, but there were still some stains. It was faint, just a very pale gray, but there were definite marks.

“I figured I’d step in if you needed me.” Net shrugged with a tired smile.

“Yeah. Still, thanks.” Michael glanced at Scout fiddling with Arrow’s quiver before looking at Sixer and Net. “What’s the plan now?”

“If he can, I’m hoping Ghost can help ground Jinx and Arrow. After that we go into the Tube room, get the Others, and get out,” Sixer replied after a moment. “These two should be out for a while, considering the strength of that blast you hit them with.”

Michael nodded as he looked back at the two he knocked out. He still felt bad, crossing his arms snugly over his chest. “Okay.”

There was a pause. Then Arrow started blinking hard and Jinx gasped and almost fell over. “Woah, head rush.” Arrow shook his head and groaned.

Scout started fretting over the two more, especially Jinx as she helped him to slowly sit up. “Are you guys okay?” she asked, feeling for their pulses by their wrists.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Jinx nodded. “Let me tell you, the field was much worse.” He chuckled weakly and rubbed his eyes, then pouted. “Hey, I’m allowed to make jokes about my own trauma. Stop ruining my fun.”

“Not a healthy coping mechanism,” Arrow pointed out before slowly sitting up himself. “I’ve had worse but that just took me out of reality. We just need a minute, I think, then we can go.”

“Okay, good.” Sixer nodded. “In the meantime, Michael. How are you doing?” All eyes turned to him with varying levels of concern. “You were also hit with that, and then you jumped right into your first real fight. Are you alright?”

Michael slowly nodded. “Yeah. I dunno, I was able to start pulling myself out. Net helped me to ground myself too,” he explained as he fiddled with the wand in his hand. He’d have to give it back to Hogwarts at some point when he wasn’t SQUIPed.

Everyone nodded understandingly, relief clear on all their faces. It was a bit surreal, having three Jeremys (and a Jake and Madeline) all fussing over him, even if he ought to be used to it by now.

“You should keep that wand close, Michael. It’ll work for you just like it does for that one,” Jinx said as he slowly climbed to his feet. “I might not know much about those sorts of wands, but I know enough about magic. It’ll be a useful conduit.”

“Okay, as long as I give it back before he’s sent back to his world,” Michael agreed.

“Of course.” Sixer nodded. “Everything will go back to where it’s supposed to b—” His hand glitched for a second and he fell to his knees. “Shit!”

Michael knelt down beside Sixer, a hand on his shoulder as his eyes widened. Oh god, it was getting worse than he thought. When he heard another cry, he looked and saw that Arrow and Scout glitched out a bit as well, both gasping in pain. Net and Jinx looked around helplessly and tried their best to help the other two.

“I’m good to move as soon as they are.” Jinx sounded so much more serious now, somehow much older than he looked. “I’ve got an idea that should help stabilise them, but we need to get to the Tubes now.”

Michael nodded as he slowly helped Sixer to his feet when the glitching stopped. “Yeah, for sure. Thanks.” He didn’t voice his concern about how backup might be coming. He didn’t know how cocky Host was.

Net helped up Scout and Jinx helped up Arrow. “Let’s move.” They started towards the Tube room, arriving only a couple of minutes later. “Net, get some of that goop out here,” Jinx instructed.

“Uh, okay.” Net helped Scout sit before hurrying over to the control panel and starting to type.

Michae helped Sixer sit down next to Scout, and Jinx did the same with Arrow. “What are you going to do?”

“The goo is what keeps the Others stable in the Tubes, according to what Ghost has seen,” Jinx explained. “If we can get them in contact with it, even a little bit, it’ll help with the glitching for now.”

Michael couldn’t help but shudder at the thought of touching the goo directly again, even if Jinx had a good point. “Yeah, good idea. I dunno how much I can help with the goo glitching.”

“Let me do that part.” Jinx nodded. “I’ll be able to work it in using a bit of help from Ghost.”

Michael felt a bit better. He glanced around at the tubes then to see who was here. There were two Michaels, one of who seemed to have beads and stuff in his hair and one who looked to be just a tiny bit older than Michael himself, a Jeremy who radiated energy even through the Tube, and another Christine who had green markings on her skin that made her almost... hard to focus on. Not in the sense that they were distracting or uncomfortable to look at, but in the way that it was harder to tell zebras apart when they all stood together.

“I’m venting the goo into a container for us to take with us,” Net spoke up, “And then they’ll come out once we’re ready.”

Michael blinked and looked over at Net then with a nod. “Oh, uh, okay. I’ll help to start cleaning off some of these guys then,” he offered as he stood up.

“I’ll help,” Sixer offered. “I’ll be able to get goo on me that way. Net, only release two at a time, please.”

“Got it.” With that, the tubes of one of the Michaels, the one with beads in his longer hair, and the Jeremy both started draining of goo.

Michael went to the Jeremy after he found and grabbed some towels. He handed one over to Sixer on the way over.

Sixer rushed to the Michael who was already stirring slightly. Meanwhile, Michael saw that the Jeremy already had his eyes open and was struggling to sit up. He was making a face and trying to clean off his arm of the goo. He wasn’t doing a great job, but it was sort of working.

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay. Let me help,” Michael softly insisted as he kneeled down beside this Jeremy. He had the towel wrapped around his hands, ready to go.

The Jeremy blinked and looked at Michael, seemingly confused. “Wait, you can actually see me? I thought since my Michael was also being contained I would be stuck in the between again.” Wait, what?

Michael’s brows furrowed. “I’m gonna be honest with you and tell you I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said before slowly helping the Jeremy.

“Yeah, I’m not surprised.” The Jeremy let Michael start cleaning him off. “I guess I’d better introduce myself then. I’m Jeremy Heere, as you already know. In my world I’m a former Priest at my local temple turned god thanks to having to fight my version of SQUIP. My Michael is my high priest for my followers, my husband and my consort, which means he’s got a piece of my power connected to him.” He paused. “I’ve been aware this whole time, but I didn’t realize anyone could actually see me while I’ve been in the tube.”

“Yeah, I’m guessing people could,” Michael murmured as he continued to clean up this Jeremy. “We saw you when we came in, at least.”

“Guess my human form is still sustained out here after all. I wasn’t sure considering no one believes in me over here...” The Jeremy shook his head. “I don’t know what you should call me. I have a lot of titles, and a lot of regions to represent, but I don’t think calling me ‘God’ or ‘Deity’ would really be fair to the Others.” He chuckled softly, shifting so Michael could reach another goo covered area. He was careful not to let Michael touch any goo without a towel though.

Michael was grateful for that as he toweled this Jeremy down. “Yeah, that wouldn’t be good or ethical in some cases? Maybe. I dunno.” He looked up at this Jeremy, taking him in. “What are some of the things you rule over as a god?”

The Jeremy giggled. “Sorry. It’s just weird having to list it off. My Michael had to repeat the whole title every time he led a service and even, like, five years later, I’m still not used to it.” He took a breath. “I am Jeremy the Undying, Protector of Humanity, God of Noble Sacrifices, God of True Friendships, God of Clear Winter Nights, God of Free Will, God of Passing Rain, God of Generosity, Savior of Us All. Y’know, officially.”

Woah. Michael focused on where he was wiping off so he didn’t get overwhelmed by all of that. “Uh... How about something relating to water or kindness? Sorry, I’m not in the right mindset to come up with nicknames right now.”

There was a pause. “I guess Rain works?” He offered with a small shrug. “Or maybe Winter since I’m god of clear winter nights.”

“Winter works. We have odd nicknames all around right now,” Michael said with a small smile before he finished cleaning off Winter. “There you go.”

“Thanks, Michael.” Winter smiled as he stood up. He carefully took the towel from Michael and put it to one side, his actions with a clear purpose but there was something... weirdly deliberate about how he moved and held himself. Maybe because he was a god. Which was fucking weird and cool.

“No fucking way!” Sixer cried excitedly. “Michael, this version of you is the Avatar! Like, the actual Avatar! Or, half the Avatar anyway.”

Michael’s head whipped around as he stared at Sixer and the Michael with him. “Wait, what?!” The Michael there glanced away, seemingly sheepishly. Oh, wait, were those Water Tribe inscriptions on those beads?

The Michael waved awkwardly. “Uh, hey. Sixer just explained this all to me. I guess you can call me Avatar? I mean, my Jeremy is the other half and I don’t know if I can even bend in this world but...” He paused when he noticed Michael looking at the beads. “Oh, these are Jeremy’s. He’s from the Southern Water Tribe, and I’m from a Fire Nation Colony in the Earth Kingdom, somewhere southeast of Omashu. You probably have no point of reference for that but—”

“Yes I do. I’ll explain it later, but just know that I am blown away and so giddy, even if I’m not showing it properly,” Michael quickly promised Avatar—ah, he was half of the avatar with Jeremy! “Let’s get you guys ready and Net, do you think you can drain the next two?”

“On it.” Net nodded. Michael caught sight of Jinx using a tub of goo on Arrow and Scout off to the side. Good. They were being taken care of too.

“I’ll help out Avatar, Michael. You go help the other two. The other Michael there doesn’t know anything about magic so he’ll need the most support out of us,” Sixer said.

“But would me helping him really be the best? Seeing a version of himself that’s trying to comfort him?” Michael posed. Didn’t they have this same discussion before with Siren?

“I’ll look after him so he won’t freak out.” Sixer nodded. “Thanks for the heads up about him...?”

“Winter. And thank you, Sixer.” Winter smiled and nodded.

Michael nodded then before getting up and going to the other tubes that were draining. Would everyone be able to fit in the van? Hopefully.

The Christine slipped out easily, her green markings becoming even more vivid once she was out of the tube. She sighed softly as her eyes flickered open. “Michael?” she asked slowly, her voice touched by a strange accent.

“Um, not your Michael, but yes,” he answered before grabbing the next towel he got for cleaning. Michael offered it up to this Christine. “Can I help clean you off, or is that not okay?”

“Go for it.” The Christine nodded. “What do you mean that you’re not my Michael, though? And are we back at the facility?” She looked around, curious. Her eyes widened when she saw the others. “Oh. That’s what you meant.”

Michael nodded as he started cleaning her up. “The short summary is that alternate universes exist and different versions of people close to you have been dragged here, to my universe. We’re here to save you guys.”

“Oh.” The Christine blinked. “So you’re a different version of Michael from another universe? Wow. And I thought our universe was big enough.”

Wait. No way. But... “Are you referring to space? Follow-up question: are you, by chance, an alien not from Earth?”

“Yes and yes.” She nodded with a proud smile. “I’m from- well it’s not able to be pronounced in your language. But I’m from another planet. I’ve been on Earth ages though.” She looked around. “This place is much nicer than Jeremy’s basement, but it’s not as clean as the facility.” Another pause. “I want to go home. Back to my apartment with Brookie.”

Michael’s eyes softened as he helped clean this Christine off. “We’ll help you get back home soon, I promise. Also, would it be okay to call you Galactic as a nickname? ‘Alien’ came to mind, but that’s a bit rude.”

Her eyes widened and she beamed and nodded excitedly. “Yes! That’s an awesome nickname! I’m gonna get everyone to call me that back home!” She giggled. “Oh, this might make things easier. Scoot back a second.”

Michael quickly did as Galactic asked. “I’m glad you like the nickname so much.”

Galactic nodded again, then closed her eyes. The green markings on her body seemed to shimmer for a moment, then her skin seemed to go slippery and all the goo slid right off her and onto the ground. When the markings stopped moving and she opened her eyes, her skin went back to normal. “There we go! All clean.”

He stared at Galactic in awe before nodding and putting the towel down. “Yeah, for sure. Wow.”

She giggled again and scooted closer to Michael. “So, what do we need to do now? I’m guessing something important since everyone seems so serious.”

Michael nodded as he glanced around to see how the others were doing. Sixer was starting to help the last Michael and everyone seemed to be settling or coming to properly. “We’re gonna get out of here once everyone’s able to move.”

“Okay. Another prison break. Awesome!”

“Uh, I’m not gonna be able to fight our way out if we need to, guys,” Sixer called before Michael could address what Galactic had said. “This Michael is terrified and I’m gonna be carrying him out to the van.” He paused while the Michael whispered something to him. “He says we can call him Retro.”

“That’s fine,” Arrow managed to say from the side. “I can shoot some arrows, and Michael is great with magic now. I think. I saw and heard that right earlier, yeah?”

“Yeah, he was awesome!” Net agreed as he wandered over. “You gotta teach us how you did that!”

Michael gave a sheepish smile. “Ghost helped guide me, honestly.”

“Well then Ghost has to teach us all.” Net nodded, pouting a little. Jinx giggled at Net and got Net sticking his tongue out in return.

“Okay, as cute as this is, can we go please?” Sixer asked. “I’m strong, but I’m tired and Retro needs somewhere safer than this facility to calm down and ground himself properly!”

“Sorry, sorry,” Michael quickly apologized as he helped Galactic to her feet. “Also, this is Galactic. Now let’s hurry the hell out of here.”

Everyone nodded and hurried out the room. Jinx had a large container with him, which Michael guessed must contain the goo, and Net was leading the way, slashing the knife from earlier side to side as he must be cutting the strings ahead of them.

Hogwarts and Dragon were still knocked out, but Michael knew they’d be okay soon enough. The SQUIPs wouldn’t let them stay ‘damaged’ at the very least.

Somehow they made it out of the building without any more issues. “Michael, get us out of here!” Sixer instructed, putting Retro in the back with the others.

“I will,” Michael said as he started up the van. This time, Net sat in the passenger’s seat as everyone quickly finished piling in. Once the doors were shut and locked, Michael pulled out and practically peeled out of the parking lot.

“I think we made it,” Net whispered after a minute of Michael driving and no one following. “We got away with it.”

Michael let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “Good. Thank god.”

“Let’s get home and rest,” Sixer murmured while rubbing Retro’s back, who was still curled against him. “We can help everyone acclimatize in the morning.”

“Yeah, for sure,” Michael murmured as he turned out of the long road and back to civilization. “I’ll get us back. Everyone, just relax until then.”


	13. Expected (and Unexpected) Rendezvous'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Lovelies! So this chapter... it's a lot. Loads happen and we're ramping up to the final battle. Familiar faces join the ranks and we get a few new allies to hopefully help out Michael and everyone else. We also get a bit more background about a few of our boys, even some who we've never met in current stories yet.   
> Fun times, but be warned for HORROR at the end of this chapter. If you've read Cabinet Man, you'll know what I'm talking about. Look out for the ***** to see where it starts and ends.   
> Be warned and enjoy!
> 
> And now, a word from my best friend ❤️
> 
> Hey guys, Ari here!  
> So, there’s a lot of struggling going on here after the last raid. A lot happens and at the end, it all sort of spirals out of control. Well, it’s more like a building ball of bullshit rolls and suddenly is taken out of control of everyone. It’s not fun.  
> Also TW for this chapter! Please be careful for body invasion/suffocation/that sort of stuff. It’s similar to tags on ‘Cabinet Man’ that we have written prior.  
> Stay safe and enjoy!

Michael woke up, a bit dazed and bleary-eyed as he tried to gauge the time of day. He had fallen asleep on the same inflatable mattress he napped on yesterday, sharing the room with Sixer and Net. After shifting, he saw that neither of them were in the room. Wait, no, Sixer wasn’t there. Net was lying there, but Michael couldn’t tell if he was up or not. His back was facing him. “Net?”

Net jumped badly and sniffled as he scrubbed at his face and turned over. The still grey tear tracks were darker than yesterday and his wobbly smile didn’t help convince Michael he was okay. “Oh, sorry Mikey. I didn’t wake you up, did I?”

“No, you didn’t,” Michael assured him before slowly getting up and sitting down next to Net. “What’s wrong?”

Net cringed a little, his smile dropping. “I... He’s been more present today. Since I touched the strings yesterday. He’s been talking to me and trying to convince me to go back,” he whispered.

Michael’s eyes softened as he shifted to wrap an arm around Net in a hug. “I’m sorry. What can I do to help?”

Net, for once, didn’t instantly melt into Michael’s embrace. He relaxed, sure, but nowhere near as much as usual. “I... this isn’t one you can help with, Mikey,” he confessed softly. “It’s not that you’re not amazing and fun and awesome, it’s just not...” He trailed off and hid his face against Michael’s chest.

“It’s not something I can help with?” Michael tried to finish as he rested his head against Net’s.

“You’re not my Michael,” Net whispered, almost sounding scared. “I love you because you’re a Michael and you’re great and a great friend, but you’re not _my_ Michael. It’s not the same.”

Michael hummed in understanding. “Yeah, I get it. You’re not my Jeremy either, not the same as him,” he murmured before shutting his eyes. “You’re like a little brother to me, if that makes sense, even if you might be older than me.”

Net snickered weakly at that. “Yeah, I know what you mean. You’re family too,” he agreed, relaxing a bit more.

“Very much family. I’m going to miss you when this all is over,” Michael murmured before pressing a hesitant kiss to his head.

Net sighed and relaxed even more. “Y’know, having you like this, like family, is probably really good for me,” he admitted after a moment. “It makes the distinction between Host and my Michael more clear. Because you’re close to how he was. Not the same, but close. I don’t think I could be upset or scared of him, thanks to you. Even with everything that Host did to me with his body.”

Michael’s heart melted a little as he held Net just a bit closer. “I’m glad I could help you with that, Net, even if it was unintentional. I know your Michael’s probably gonna be super upset and a wreck when he’s free. He’s gonna be super guilty and think you _should_ be scared of him, should hate him. Don’t let him pull that bull though, yeah?”

“I won’t.” Net nodded, snuggling closer to Michael like he normally would. “He did nothing wrong. He was just as much of a victim in this as I was.”

“He was.” Michael smiled as he started to run his fingers through Net’s hair.

“Guess I was wrong,” Net said, “Guess you could help after all.”

Michael couldn’t help but laugh. “Never underestimate the power of the best friend.”

  
  


———

  
  


“Hey... Michael.” Michael glanced over to see Avatar coming over to where he was perched on the couch. He was fiddling with a necklace that Michael didn’t recognize. Was he wearing that yesterday? “How are you today?”

“I’m doing alright, I guess,” Michael said as he looked up at Avatar. “How are you doing?”

“Alright,” Avatar admitted as he sat down. “Your world is weird. Everything runs on electricity and I can’t feel the spirit world at all. Although, my Jeremy probably could... He’s the more spiritual side of the Avatar, I’m more about the bending. We work best when we’re together.” He kept fiddling with the necklace, which looked to be hand carved from some blue gem or rock.

Michael nodded as he couldn’t help but glance at the necklace. “Yeah, I can imagine it’s a lot different compared to your world,” he said before looking back up at Avatar’s face. “What are you wearing, by the way? It looks nice. Is it Water Tribe too?”

“Yeah. Jeremy made it for me.” Avatar nodded and lifted it forward for Michael to see. “It’s a betrothal necklace. It’s traditional in the Water tribes, apparently.”

Oh god. “Wow. That’s really sweet,” Michael said as he looked over the details. It was done with love, even if it wasn’t perfect. It was homemade in the best of ways.

“Yeah. We were gonna be getting married in a few months,” Avatar replied, a dreamy look in his eye. “Fire Lord Chloe was going to be conducting the ceremony.” Wait, did that make their Chloe the same as Zuko in the show?

That was... Wow. Maybe Chloe needed someone genuine to talk to after this. “Well, you can still get married in a few months. You’ll be back there soon,” Michael promised.

“Yeah.” Avatar nodded. Then he hummed and looked Michael over. “Y’know, if you could use the magic from the other worlds, maybe you could bend. After all, you’re me from this place. Maybe you could access some of my skills too.”

Oh god. Could he be the Avatar here? No, no, too much power. “Maybe I could do some simple bending and freak someone out,” Michael suggested with a weak smile.

“Well, I can teach you the basic forms for each element. You’ll probably be better with fire and earth, but we can try the others too,” Avatar said. “And if you can manage to do some, I’ll draw up the more complex forms for you to try when I’ve gone home.”

Would they even have enough time to do any of that? “That would be pretty cool. I could impress my Jeremy.”

Avatar nodded and stood up. “C’mon. Sixer showed me the training room. We can try until lunch, if you’re up for it.”

“Yeah, that sounds good. I have something I need to check up on after that,” Michael admitted before he stood up as well.

“Well, it’ll have to be before the planning session,” Avatar reminded Michael. “Remember, Sixer and Arrow said they want to review everything tonight.”

Michael nodded as he rubbed his arms. “It’ll happen beforehand, for sure.”

“Nice.” Avatar grinned. “Now c’mon. We need to stretch before you try any bending.”

That got a groan out of him but he nodded. “Alright, fine. Only because this better end with me doing something cool.”

“If you’re able to bend, it’ll be _beyond_ cool.”

  
  


———

  
  


So Michael has been able to make the fire shift and move around a little, but he wasn’t sure if it was a breeze or something. By the time lunch came around, Michael had to go to the mall to pick up his soda. He mentioned it briefly to Net and Sixer before he went, but now he was outside the place that everything went to shit. The damn mall.

As he went inside, he heard a loud burst of gut-churningly familiar laughter. He had to duck behind a plant nearby to avoid Jeremy and his group of ‘friends,’ Michael peered out, watching Jeremy with a sort of longing.

Jeremy looked good, perfectly put together and confident and happy. Michael knew it was fake, but it still hurt to see him so happy without him.

This was Host being happy, not Jeremy. Jeremy admitted he was miserable and hated every second of what he had been forced to become. He was doing this for his best friend.

Michael quickly shook his head and, once Jeremy and his ‘friends’ were gone, hurried to Spenser’s.

“Hey, Michael!” Derek called as Michael walked in. “Long time, no see, little dude. Where have you been?”

Oh god, how he missed seeing Derek. "Things have been... crazy. I'll explain it later, yeah?" Were there alternate Dereks too? Probably.

“Okay.” Derek shrugged. “You... haven’t gotten into any trouble, have you Michael?” Derek asked slowly. “Because you look exhausted. I know you probably don’t consider me a friend since I’m older and just your soda guy, but if you ever need a place to crash, hit me up, okay? You’ve got my number.”

Michael couldn't help but laugh and smile as he took out his wallet. "I will. Thanks, Derek. And... sort of, but it wasn't 'cause I started it. Like I said, I'll explain it later." He offered his card to Derek. "You and Dustin have been doing good, yeah?"

“He’s been acting... weird, actually. And Marshal hasn’t been around in ages. I think something happened between him and Dustin, honestly, but who knows?” Derek shook his head as he took Michael’s card and took payment. “Is something going around your school? ‘Cause that’s where I think his issue started.”

Michael sighed and nodded as he leaned against the counter. "Yeah. Don't tell Dustin, but I'm working to help stop this shit," he explained in a softer voice, just in case anyone else overheard. "Your bro'll be fine in a week tops, hopefully."

Derek considered him for a second before nodding. “I trust you dude, just be careful.” He handed back Michael’s card and started to walk to the back. “C’mon. We’ve got a case of expired soda to get into your car. Maggie, you’re in charge until I get back!”

“Woo!” Maggie cheered from where she was restocking the regular sodas.

God, he missed the little community here of not-paid-well-enough employees. "Think I'll still be good to work here soon?" Michael asked as he pocketed his card and walked into the backroom with Derek. "I know this place almost as well as you by now."

“Dude, you have a name badge already and everything.” Derek laughed. “We’ve been waiting for you to hand in your resumé so we can make it official.”

Michael stared at Derek with wide eyes, stopping after entering the backroom. "What? When were you going to tell me this? I didn't know!"

"When you reached senior year, if you hadn't already brought it up." Derek shrugged nonchalantly. "Here you are! Two cases of Mountain Dew Red, expired and everything."

Oh thank god. Michael took one of the bottles, looking it over with probably palatable relief. “You have no idea how grateful I am for this, Derek. You’re helping to save the school and more.”

“With shitty expired soda?” Derek didn’t sound judgemental, just amused and slightly confused by it. “Okay, dude, if you say so.” He picked up a case. “You take the other one. We’ll get it to your car in one trip.”

Michael picked up the other case and exhales happily. “That sounds great. Thanks, dude, seriously.”

“No problem.” Derek started walking out the back room. “So, how are things going with school for you? I mean, it sounds like something intense is going on for your side.”

“Oh, they’ve been... interesting. Not the best, but it should be getting better soon,” Michael admitted as he shifted to hold the door open with his foot.

“Thanks.” Derek nodded before stepping out into the main shop. “Well, that’s good that it’s getting better. And so long as it’s good for senior year, you’ll be set for college, right?”

Michael let out a weak laugh before following Derek. “Yeah. I mean, grade-wise, I’m doing the same as before. Just... had a lot of other things in my mind, you know?”

“Understandable.” Derek chuckled. “Trust me, being a teenager sucks. It gets easier when you get older, even if you don’t realize it until you look back.”

“Oh, I sure hope so.” After this, so many things were going to seem easier in comparison. Except for standardized tests. Fuck those things.

“Hormones make everything worse and like, ten times harder.”

Michael burst out laughing as he nodded. “Oh yeah, for sure.”

“Hey, nerd! Mell!” Wait, Michael recognized that voice. He turned and saw Chloe Valentine walking up to him. She looked a mess compared to how put-together she usually was (she was still very put together, just somehow less coherent) and she was focused on him for some reason.

“Do you know her, dude? She seems like trouble,” Derek whispered.

Michael hesitated before turning and facing Chloe, shifting the case in his arms to focus on her. She looked so... naked, being alone and without Brooke. “I’m surprised you know who I am.”

"You're the one who Jenna's been spending time with." Chloe shrugged, but she was glaring. "You're also the nerd Jeremy was gaga over to start with and who he _used_ to spend all his time with. I wanna know what changed and what the fuck he is doing to everyone,” she demanded.

He stared at her for a few moments as she steamed, thinking on the best course of action. “Well, I’ll tell you that it’s way bigger than you think it is. You’re not gonna believe me if I tell you either.”

“Try me.” Chloe crossed her arms and glared at Michael. “Because I know your freaky little boyfriend drugged Brooke or something. She’s not like this, she's too nice.”

Michael sighed heavily and nodded his head to the food court. “Well, I need to put this away in my car first. It’s heavy. I’ll explain it there, where it’s safe.”

Chloe hesitated. Then she looked around, at the crowds, before looking back at Michael and nodding. “Okay. But I want the truth.”

“If you’re willing to listen and accept it, I’ll tell you. You and Derek, if he’s willing to stick around and hear it.”

“Sure thing, Michael.” Derek nodded instantly. “If it’s something to do with helping my baby brother then I’m all ears. And if it means helping you too.”

Chloe looked torn before she sighed and slumped. “Look, I just want my best friend back. I’ll listen and accept it, but I might need... help with that.” She wrinkled her nose and wouldn’t make eye contact, but Michael was starting to realize how serious about this Chloe was. She never asked for help from what he had seen.

Michael nodded as he started walking out to the food court’s exit. “Trust me, it took me a while to fully comprehend it. I’m still having trouble with it from time to time.”

  
  


About half an hour later—yea it took that long because there was so much to explain—Michael finished his tale. Derek was, for once, speechless. And Chloe—

“That sounds like utter horse shit.”

Well, Chloe was being her usual self.

“You said you’d try to believe it, Chloe.” Derek pointed out softly.

“Hey, I never said I didn’t believe it. I said it sounds like horse shit. Because it does. But... it also explains some stuff. Like how Brooke went from being the nicest person I know to being, well, worse than me.”

Michael’s eyes softened as he nodded. “Yeah. It’s been one hell of a time,” he admitted as he leaned back against the car. “Honestly though, you’re lucky you haven’t been picked off and into the hive mind, Chloe.”

“I don’t know why.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Clearly they’re lacking in taste.”

“Probably because you’re too wilful,” Derek said, looking pensive. “You’re confident, and I think Brooke and the others had more to gain by joining, you were a risk because you like being the queen bee too much.”

“You don’t know me.” Chloe shot him a glare, but she couldn't cover up the slight blush on her cheeks.

Michael raised a brow. “You’re too strong-willed and weren’t in a vulnerable mindset that a SQUIP could easily mold,” he added before fiddling with his hoodie strings. “You’re also one of the smartest people at our school, if not the smartest.”

“You... really think so?” Chloe looked at him properly for once, something different in her eyes. There wasn’t an ounce of judgement or even annoyance. There was genuine curiosity and surprise.

“Chloe, you’re gonna be valedictorian. I think. You’ve got the highest GPA at school. Everyone wants to pair up with you not ‘cause you’re so popular, but because you know what the fuck’s going on and what to do.”

Chloe blinked, then looked away with a huff. Michael could see her cheeks were going properly red now. “No one’s ever complimented me on my brain before, so congrats on being the first one, nerd,” she snarked. It was half hearted at best. Derek just chuckled from his place in the backseat.

“Yeah, okay. So, now that you know this shit, what are you gonna do?”

“I’m gonna go back to work,” Derek said, sitting up properly and stretching. “And then after I’m finished on my shift, I’m coming over and you’re introducing me to the Others. Seems like you could use some people not directly involved to keep people grounded and calm. I’ve got some practice in that department.”

Michael blinked before smiling and nodding. “I’ll text you where to go,” he said before looking at Chloe. “What about you?”

“Well, what _can_ I do? I’m not exactly... involved. I don’t know how much help I can be...” Michael had never heard Chloe sound so small and insecure.

“Jenna wasn’t involved and she helped,” Michael told her. “She’s been a great help, and she wasn’t involved either.”

Chloe hesitated, then her expression resolved itself. “Take me to the others. We can talk and I can figure out what you guys need and what I can do.”

Michael nodded before glancing out at the parking lot. “Uh, do you wanna follow me on the road? You drove yourself here, right?”

“Yeah, I did.” Chloe nodded. Derek hopped out the car with a cheerful salute.

After Derek got out, Michael gave him a cheerful salute as well. “I’ll text you the details now, okay? And text me when you’re coming.”

“I’ll keep you updated,” Derek promised. “Now to see if Maggie destroyed the shop or not,” he joked, waving and wandering off.

Chloe hadn’t moved yet. “I just have one request before we go.” She looked at him with a surprising amount of intensity that seemed almost.... nerdy. “Can you show me some magic?”

Michael blinked and looked at Chloe. “Oh, uh... sure.” He put his hand palm-up and focused on the magic like he had felt it yesterday. As he did that, Michael felt it course through him. “Lumos.”

Chloe blinked hard when the orb of light formed, like she couldn’t quite believe it. Michael still had a hard time believing it. “Woah, that’s really cool.” Wait, what? Did Chloe really just say that to him? “Don’t let it go to your head, Mell.”

“I won’t,” Michael joked before he stopped the spell and closed his hand. “So yeah, undeniable proof right there.”

“Yup.” Chloe nodded as she sat back with a huff. “Guess I have to help you now.” That was a joking tone. Was Chloe Valentine really joking around with Michael? Wait until Jenna heard about this. “I’ll go get my car. If you lose me, just text me. Here’s my number.” She grabbed a piece of paper from her pocket and a pen that Michael had just lying around in his car from when Jeremy’s pencil case exploded on their first day back at school this year. She handed Michael the paper before hopping gracefully out of his car and sauntering towards the rich-looking cars nearby.

Michael watched her go, holding the paper for a good few seconds before putting it in the cup holder. He quickly text Derek before he started to lead Chloe and her swanky rich car to the house. Wow, what was his life coming to where the rich, popular Chloe Valentine was following him and gave him her number.

  
  


Chloe looked up at the base with a slight look of disgust. “Please tell me it looks better inside than it does out here,” she grumbled, stepping closer to Michael. Whether it was to keep away from the walls or for some form of comfort, he had no idea.

“It is,” Michael assured her as he stuffed his hands into his hoodie pocket. “Now, do you want me to go in first?”

“Probably for the best.” Chloe nodded, crossing her arms. It would normally look like a standoffish gesture, but Michael could actually see she was just nervous. “They might think those Squid things sent me if I go in first.”

Michael wanted to correct her, but he stopped himself. If he hadn’t known any better, he would’ve said the same thing. “Okay.” He went to the door and opened it, slowly walking in. “Hey, I have a guest with me! She’s cool and safe!”

“A guest?” Net poked his head out from one of the doorways. “Who?”

“You brought more people into this?” Sixer asked from the kitchen. “Are you sure we can trust her?” A few other people appeared from various rooms, poking they heads out curiously, including Siren and Avatar. It was still weird seeing his own face how other people would see it.

“Am I okay to come in, Mell?” Chloe hissed from behind him.

He held up a hand to her as he nodded to the others. “We can trust her, I promise,” Michael assured everyone before he waved Chloe in. “You can come in now, Chloe.” From the corner of his vision, he saw Avatar’s eyes light up.

Chloe hesitated, then walked in. She froze when she saw how many near identical faces were looking back at her with varying levels of enthusiasm. “Holy shit this is weird. I know you warned me, but still.” She huffed and crossed her arms again.

“Hello Chloe. It’s nice to meet you.” Sixer came out from the kitchen. He was in a new three piece suit, and had a dish towel thrown over his shoulder. Chloe was clearly shocked but also clearly checking him out.

“Hey, he’s a married man,” Michael teased (hey, he could get away with teasing Chloe for once) as he shut the door behind her. “Yeah, there’s a lot of Jeremys and mes from other universes. There’s also some Christines, a Jake, a Brooke, and a Madeline,” he reminded Chloe as Scout peeked her head out of a room before quickly retreating back in.

Chloe huffed when she spotted Scout but didn’t say anything. “Okay... Well, what should I do then?” she asked.

“You’ve been watching people at school, right?” Sixer asked. When Chloe nodded, he continued. “Well anything you’ve noticed or overheard would be useful to us. We need to locate the main base for the final attack, so any help is useful.”

“We need to know so we can stop the spread of SQUIPs and so everyone can go home,” Michael added as he stuffed his hands into his hoodie pocket.

“I know why I’m here, Mell,” Chloe snapped. She crossed her arms tighter. Sixer’s eyes softened.

“Chloe, we’re here to help you as much as you are here to help us,” he offered gently. He headed over to the couch and patted it for her to sit down next to him. She did after a moment, somewhat hesitantly. “You know, in my world, my version of Chloe saved me? And she was a very close friend of mine.”

Chloe gaped at that. “Really?” Sixer nodded seriously.

Avatar stepped over and stood nearby. “My Chloe actually helped me and my Jeremy stop the end of the world, basically. She’s the Firelord, a very precious friend, and is going to marry me in a few months."

“As in, officiate the wedding,” Sixer clarified with a chuckle. “Our point being, you’re important Chloe. And even if we don’t know this version of you personally, we already know we like you.”

“You... like me?” Chloe asked hesitantly, like she couldn’t quite believe it. Both Sixer and avatar nodded enthusiastically.

Michael stepped over then, glancing over Chloe. “If one of me likes and trusts you, I’m going to trust you.”

Chloe looked overwhelmed for a second before she tossed her hair. “I mean, of course you trust me and like me. I’m the best.”

Sixer chuckles fondly. “Chloe, it’s okay. You can be vulnerable for once.” He paused. “You’re allowed to feel vulnerable, and to show it to people you can trust, since it’ll help you. We want to help you too.”

Avatar nodded in agreement. “You don’t have to hide behind a big, fake ego. You’re a teenager who is scared and worried about her friends and her own life.”

Chloe looked helplessly between them before slouching where she sat. “Ugh, I’m not here for you to psychoanalyse me,” she grumbled, but she didn’t deny a word of it. Michael couldn’t help the soft smile that came to his face. Maybe Chloe wasn’t so bad after all. She was just as scared as the rest of them, even if she tried to hide it.

“No, you’re not,” Michael agreed as he playfully shot Avatar and Sixer looks.

They both laughed, but it was sweet and good natured. Chloe perked up a little at that, when she seemed to realise that they weren’t laughing at her. It was a nice moment right up until Jinx rushed in.

“Jenna’s missing!” he cried, skidding to a stop nearby. Then he blinked. “Oh, hey Chloe.”

Michael turned and stared at Jinx then with wide eyes. “She’s what?!” Instantly, he took out his phone and tried calling her.

The phone rang out, which never happened.

“Ghost says she’s out of cell range. In a building or something,” Jinx said after a moment. “He can trace her but we don’t know what she’s doing or why she’s there.”

“Net, get in here!” Sixer called, shooting to his feet. “We need you!”

He waited for Net as he shifted to continually text her. Something had to work!

The texts returned as undelivered.

“You won’t get through to her.” Net wandered in, his eyes hazy and unfocused. His motions were stuttered and uncoordinated, almost like he didn't have the strength to move his limbs. “She’s with him right now. They’re talking.”

Scout had an arm around him, helping him stay steady. It seemed like she had to focus a bit more on her breathing. Techie was by their side, making sure they both were okay. “Jinx, make sure Ghost finds her fast,” she said as she hovered next to the two.

“He’s on it.” Jinx nodded.

“Jenna found us the base,” Net said, letting Scout and Techie guide him to sit on the arm chair. “She—” His next words vanished in a choked groan as his eyes rolled back Chloe screamed.

An image formed in front of him in a shaky hologram which grew more clear with every passing second. It was the same throne room from the last time this happened, except instead of Jeremy being led up towards the throne, it was Jenna.

“So you’re Host, huh?” She seemed to give the view, who was clearly Host, a once-over. “Eh. My version of Michael is cuter.”

“Well, that’s neither here nor there,” Host said, seeming to shift back on the throne with how the view slightly shifted. “My real wonder is to why you’re here, Jenna. Normally, I’d see you taking a SQUIP, no questions asked, but these aren’t normal circumstances.”

“Because this time I didn’t need a SQUIP to feel like I belonged. Michael gave me that.” Jenna crossed her arms, easily yanking them back from the random guard who was holding her. “But I’m here to make you a deal, Host. Something I _know_ you won’t be able to refuse.”

“Oh? Well, I’m all for making things interesting. Let’s hear it then,” Host said, waving their hand in an amused manner to Jenna.

“I know where Net is.” Jenna looked at him hard. “I know where he is, and I know _you_ can’t see him. It’s the one thing you can’t get, since you can’t locate any of them.”

The point of view narrowed a little. “But what do I have to give you in return?”

“When they come to you, and they will, I don’t want to be involved. I know I’m not gonna be leaving here without a SQUIP, so I don’t want to be involved when they come to fight.” Jenna kept her voice and gaze even.

There was a lingering silence following Jenna’s request. “Why that?”

“Because I don’t want to fight them,” Jenna replied simply. “I’ll take a SQUIP willingly, I’ll tell you whatever you want to know, but you don’t make me fight them.”

Host hummed in thought for a moment. “Because you coming here is a way for them to find my base, right? You’re trying to be all noble and self-sacrificing.”

“They’ve found you no matter what you do.” Jenna grinned wickedly. “Michael has access to my laptop, and I broadcast my location before entering the building. And beyond that, we have loads of magic users who can track me, I’ve spent enough time with them for them to hone in. So now you have a choice, Host. Do you take the deal or not? Take the advantage or not? Because we both know that you forcing a SQUIP into someone causes damage. Especially partial memory loss.”

There was a heavy sigh. “I promise that I will not have you get involved in the fighting that occurs if you let me know where my Jeremy is,” Host said with a nod. They held their hand out and waved Jenna over, still keeping their hand extended.

“Deal.” Jenna walked up, the picture of confidence. Michael could see just how terrified Jenna was, though. She was so scared and being so brave but also so headstrong and stupid right now. She took Host’s hand. “I’ll take a SQUIP.”

“Oh, no. That’s too good for you,” Host simpered before Michael saw what seemed to be wires near the edge of the screen. “I haven’t done this in a while, so sorry if I’m rusty.”

*****

“Wha—” In an instant, Jenna was wrapped up in thick electrical wires. They held her still as more wires started burrowing into her skin at her joints and forcing their way into her mouth, muffling her screams.

Michael couldn’t help but look away for a moment, his stomach churning. He had to keep himself from getting sick from the image still lingering in his head and the sound still echoing throughout the room.

*****

When he finally looked back, after Jenna’s screams had stopped, she had completely blue eyes and stood stock still. Michael wanted to cry. She didn’t deserve any of this. “Tell me where Net is.”  
  


“The abandoned building by the 7/11. The one closest to Jeremy’s house,” Jenna replied, her voice monotone but so hoarse it made Michael’s throat burn in sympathy.

Host hummed happily. “Ah, thank you. Now go.” They waved their hand at her, as if dismissing a useless child. “Follow your new orders.”

“Yes sir.” Jenna nodded and shuffled off. She was clearly weak, exhausted after what she just went through.

Host huffed and leaned back, looking to the side. There stood Jeremy, stock-still and looking ahead. “Drone, get the base ready to defend. I have to start working on getting my Jeremy back.” With that, the projection ended.

Net slumped over in Scout’s arms, fat black tears dripping down his cheeks and his eyes still pure white from rolling back. There was a small, neutral smile on his face. He seemed to be barely breathing.

Even if Scout’s breathing seemed to get a little worrisome, she kept focusing on Net, as did Techie. Michael wanted to help, but he was overwhelmed. Jenna gave herself up for them to do this. Why? They could’ve found out some other way, right?

“What the fuck is happening?” Chloe demanded, her voice badly shaking. “What did that— that _thing_ do to Jenna?! And— and—” Oh god, Michael had forgotten she was there. Chloe sounded on the edge of a panic attack.

For her, Michael kept himself together and quickly turned to Chloe. Her eyes were wide and it seemed like she was shaking too. He quickly hovered, a hand over her shoulder. “Chloe, I need you to focus on me. Can I take your hand so I can help you?”

Chloe stared at Michael, but he wasn’t totally sure she was seeing him. “Wh—what?” she asked. “Take my— Michael what just happened to her?” she asked in a begging, pleading tone, still shivering.

“I’m taking your hand,” he told her before carefully taking it. Michael did his best to ignore her flinch before he gently guided her to sit and rest her hand against his chest. He purposefully exaggerated his breathing. “Copy me.”

Chloe, surprisingly, did as she was told and started copying Michael’s breathing. She also closed her eyes tightly with a whine, managing to hold Michael’s hoodie slightly rather than just resting against it.

Even though he was caught off-guard, Michael kept going. There was probably stuff going on in the background, but he ignored it in favor of helping Chloe. She just got tossed into the lion’s den. She needed his help.

After a few minutes, when Chloe’s breathing was a bit more even, she spoke up. “What did he do to Jenna, Michael?” She sounded so lost and scared. “Is she gonna be okay?”

Michael had to only hope. “She’ll be fine. I... They did a worse version of giving her a SQUIP, worse than what Brooke and most of the others are going through, I think. More intense and painful.”

“So you don’t think Brooke went through that too?” Michael wasn’t the only one worried about his best friend. Chloe was too. He felt a strange sort of solidarity with her at that moment.

Michael shook his head. “No, she took a computer pill,” he assured her before squeezing her hand, which was still resting above hers.

Chloe nodded and sort of curled towards Michael without seeming to really think about it. “Okay... okay.”

“We’ll get them all back, I promise. That’s what we’ve been working towards.”

“We’ll get them back,” Chloe echoed before nodding and scooting even closer to Michael, to the point where she was resting her forehead on his shoulder. It seemed to help her ground herself a bit more.

The contact and pressure helped Michael too. He shifted to wrap an arm around her and keep her close, until she’d inevitably tell him to get off. This helped keep him present.

Surprisingly, Chloe curled up in his arms and shifted even closer, clinging to him properly with a soft whine. “That was... a lot,” she whispered.

“Yeah, it was. Sorry I sort of threw you into the deep end,” Michael apologized as he shut his own eyes.

“You didn’t know this would happen.” Chloe sounded so tired. “You—… you just want your friend back.”

“I do. I want my best friend back. You do too,” Michael stated.

“I do,” Chloe agreed softly. “I... I think I need t’lie down after that.”

“Here, Chloe, let me help you.” Major came over and sat nearby. “I might not be your Brooke, but I can still help.” She gently wrapped her arms around Chloe too, who looked up at her with teary eyes.

Michael’s eyes softened as he looked up at Major. “Thanks.”

Chloe let Major scoop her up and hold her close. “You wanna come nap in my room, Chlo? We can stay there for a bit and get updates on everything later.” She didn’t resist when Major helped her stand or when they started walking off. She just clung to Major like a lifeline and let herself be guided upstairs.

After watching them go and taking a few deep breaths, Michael turned and focused on Net, who wasn’t where he had been prior. “Net? Where is he?”

"He's gone to bed." Techie nodded as she walked back in, cleaning her hands of black goo. "He had passed out after that, and even after we managed to snap him out of it, he was barely conscious. He needs to rest."

"Well we can manage an hour before we have to consider moving,” Jinx replied grimly. "SQUIP HQ is about an hour away, tops. And, according to Ghost, he can set up wards to keep them away from here for maybe two hours. That'll be pushing it, but we can manage so long as he rests after."

“So we have to move and attack _now_?” Michael asked with wide eyes. He quickly took out his phone and texted Derek not to meet up where he sent for safety reasons.

"We don't have much of a choice." Sixer nodded grimly. "We have hours before Host raids this place and takes every single one of us back. Even if we run, we'll leave traces. We have to take them out now before they take us."

Well great. “Well, where exactly is the HQ?”

“I’ve got a lock on it. I’ll put it into the GPS.” Jinx walked quickly to the kitchen. Sixer nodded and turned to face Michael.

“Jeremy is going to be there. And Jenna now too. No one would fault you for sticking with the ones who can’t fight for this attack,” he quietly said to Michael.

Michael quickly and instantly shook his head. “I can’t. Plus, I finally got it in my car,” he said, which he knew sounded cryptic. “I got the Mountain Dew Red. I need to give it to Jeremy.”

Sixer’s eyes widened. “Oh,” he gasped softly. “Okay. Well, you’re gonna have to fight in that case. We’ll have to get through and bring up everyone else safely so we can get them through. Are you up for that? Do you think you can handle possibly having to fight him?”

“I have to be,” Michael admitted as he rubbed his eyes. “I’m sure that some others can drive them up in the van. Maybe Retro if he’s calm.”

“Retro is doing so much better now.” Sixer nodded. “The advance team is gonna be the same team as the last raid. And the rest will follow us up. Moon and the others will be protecting the ones without powers or fighting skills.”

Good. That was smart. “I need to ask Chloe what she wants to do. She just got thrown into all of this.”

“Talk it out when she’s awake. Major will look after her for now.” Sixer was in full business mode now. “Talk to whoever you need to do you can prepare. I’ll be in the training room setting up everything and cleaning up. This is do or die day.” He nodded and turned to leave.

Michael exhaled shakily and ran a hand through his hair. Well shit. Today was gonna be fun, huh?


	14. The Beginning of the End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, Ari here!  
> So... a lot has happened. We’re in the final stretch and this will not be fun, I can guarantee that. There will be some familiar faces and maybe some unfamiliar faces that we will be seeing here today and over the next few chapters. Are you ready? Probably more than Michael is.  
> And now, a word from my Mara <3
> 
> Hey Lovelies! So this chapter, like the title states, is the beginning of the end. No matter what, this battle will end within the next few hours for our boys. Are they ready? Can they even pull this off? Well, they don't get much of a choice. Secrets get revealed, fears exposed and chaos is sure to reign. Enjoy!

Somehow, Michael was able to zen out enough to drive. Maybe he was compartmentalizing all of his feelings so he could do it. He wasn’t sure. He could feel the subtle tremors in his chest but his hands were steady and sure as he drove his Cruiser. Bob Marley was playing and he was able to look ahead, listening to any instructions the phone GPS gave him.

“Do you need time to swap out, Michael?” Sixer asked gently. He was in the passenger’s seat again. “You can take a minute to relax before we get there.”

He shook his head. “If I don’t drive, I’ll get carsick, remember?”

“That’s true.” Sixer hummed as Michael turned the corner. 

“Is there anything we can do to help, Mikey?” Net asked from the backseat. Michael wasn’t sure that Net should be with them, but he couldn’t deny he would give them an edge. Michael was just worried he would be too tired after what happened earlier.

“You guys are the ones who are physically and mentally suffering more than me. Just worry about getting ready for all of this craziness that’s inevitably going to unfold,” Michael assured Net, and hopefully the others too.

“Just because we’ve got more to focus on doesn’t mean we can’t take care of you too,” Jinx pointed out. “You’re our friend, Michael. Being able to help you helps us.”

“Plus, you’ve done so much for us. The least we can do is help you out,” Scout added.

“She’s right,” Net said. “Please talk to us, Mikey. We want to help.”

While he appreciated their support, he just didn’t need it right now. Well, maybe he did, but he needed to just focus on driving. “I can’t. I need to focus on the road.”

“Okay,” Sixer said as he waved the others down. “But just... make sure to talk to someone about all this after, yeah? Even if it can’t be us. Talk to someone.”

Michael nodded, but wasn’t sure if there was anyone he could talk to. Maybe Derek? He didn’t wanna overwhelm him though. Everyone else would be dealing with their own shit. Plus, if he went to anyone else, they’d think he was crazy.

Sixer didn’t seem convinced, but he didn’t push further. Instead he pulled out a page from his inside pocket, flinching as he did so.

“Okay.” Sixer cleared his throat before starting. “We’ve got five levels to make it through. Host’s room is actually in the basement, and the building is bigger underneath than it is above. It’s basically the full plot of land. So we’ll have lots of bad guys to clear out. Net, you pick out anyone with a SQUIP. We neutralise them with the red if we can, that should knock out their network if they’re connected enough. If not, we do each one at a time. Arrow, Jinx, you two are in charge of protecting Michael, Net, and Scout from any direct attacks. Deal with the enemies as needed, but they’re your priority. I’ll take point and mow down anyone who tries to stop us. Understand?”

Everyone spoke out in agreement, even Michael. “Try to only use the Red sparingly. Just a little should work for someone,” he said. “It only took a sip for Jeremy to activate his SQUIP.”

“We’ll be careful with it,” Jinx agreed. “Just be careful too, Sixer. You might be a hitman, but you’re still human.” Sixer didn’t respond, but Michael saw him rub his jacket out the corner of his eye. The same side where he always kept the mask.

“Don’t push yourself,” Michael added. “You’re still recovering and we don’t know when your next glitch’ll be.”

“The goo has stabilized me for now,” Sixer replied softly. “I’ll make it until tonight before I’m even at risk of another.”

“Still. You’re not fully recovered from the last glitch,” Michael pointed out. He could see it in the slight trembles when Sixer thought no one was looking.

“What you’ve been seeing... That’s not from the glitch.” Sixer hunched over. Oh. “And it’s getting harder to ignore.” The others didn’t know how bad this was, right? Did Sixer even care anymore? “It’s good this is today. Since I don’t know how much longer I’d last anyways.”

Michael glanced to the backseat, at Jinx. “Do you know what he’s talking about, and if so, do you know any ways to help him?”

“I do.” Jinx nodded. “But I can’t help him. Neither can Ghost. This isn’t anything we can interfere with, even if we want to.”

“What do you mean? What’s going on?” Net asked worriedly.

Did Sixer never tell Net? Michael sighed and glanced back at him for a moment in the rearview mirror. “You know the mask you saw Sixer get? It’s been taking a toll. It’s from his world, and he and his Michael struggled a lot with it.”

“This isn’t from my world. This is from your world.” Sixer huffed. “Which means even when I get back, I’m gonna go looking for it.” He lifted his glasses and rubbed his eyes tiredly. “It’s like your strings, Net. The more you use them, the worse it gets. Except for me the longer I’m near it, the worse it gets.” Net made a small noise of worry and understanding.

Michael quickly apologized. “Meant to say it’s like the one from your world, sorry. It’s also like an addiction,” he supplied.

“Yeah. But worse than any drug because it’s _conscious_ ,” Sixer said with a sigh. “Look, regardless of anything else, it’s not something you need to worry about. I’m still perfectly capable of leading this operation, and soon it won’t be something you have to consider ever again.” Oh, that was why he never told anyone. He was worried that people wouldn’t think he could lead anymore.

“You know, just because you struggle with this doesn’t mean you aren’t a good leader,” Michael pointed out.

Sixer was silent and didn’t look over. It was moments like this that Sixer most resembled the Jeremy Michael knew. He was stubborn and proud underneath all his anxiety. He didn’t like being confronted either, even when it was for his own good.

Michael stopped at the stop sign and, once he was sure no one was behind them, he looked dead at Sixer. “Despite what you think makes you not as good, you’ve done an amazing job leading all of us. I’m sure I’m speaking for all of us when I say that we couldn’t and can’t do this without you.”

Everyone made a sound of agreement and Sixer slowly looked back at them. His cheeks were red and his eyes soft. “I... I just didn’t want to let anyone down. I didn’t want to let anyone get hurt, and this is dangerous.”

“We all know it is. We’re accepting that as we come here,” Arrow pointed out as his head peaked up from the trunk area of the car. “Even if we do get hurt, it isn’t because of you. You can’t keep that insane responsibility on your shoulders.”

“Yeah, it’s not fair. We were all thrown into this and we’ve made the best of it. But it’s not up to you to save us. Believe me, I know the feelings you’ve got and it’s not your fault,” Jinx added softly. 

“I... I guess. Thanks guys.” Sixer sighed, then chuckled weakly. “I’m basically thanking myself for the most part. God, this is still so weird.”

Michael couldn’t help but laugh as he saw a car coming behind. He glanced at the intersection before he drove through. “Yeah, I don’t think we would have ever gotten used to this,” he admitted.

“Well, hopefully we can one day.” Net hummed happily. “Hopefully we’ll still get to communicate after all this is over. I mean, if Moon could, and Host could, why couldn’t we?”

“I mean, at the end of Spiderverse, Miles presumably talks to Gwen through a little portal. Hopefully we’ll have something like that,” Scout pitched.

“Here’s hoping,” Sixer agreed, actually smiling again. “Now let’s get moving, we have some SQUIP ass to kick.”

  
  


———

  
  


Michael parked outside the base, looking at it. It was big but looked to be only one story from the surface, about the size of a warehouse. There were no flashy designs or anything to indicate who owned it or what was stored inside.

“This is it,” Jinx confirmed. “The first floor is where the guards will be. They will be scattered throughout, but that’ll be the main concentration.” He nodded to himself after a moment. “Yeah, there are a lot. Are we sure we can do this?”

“Even if we aren’t sure, we _have_ to do this,” Michael said as he took the keys out of the ignition.

"Let's go. Everyone remember your positions and stay close." Sixer climbed out the car and pulled out his gun. Michael knew it was filled with knockout darts, but it was still jarring to see Jeremy with a gun.

Michael swallowed the lump in his throat as he got out, letting everyone else come out as well. He made sure to pop the trunk open for Arrow as well before he grabbed some bottles of Red.

When Michael glanced, he saw Jinx’s hands up as he nodded and Arrow ready with a notched bow. Thankfully, the arrows didn’t actually pierce skin. There was a sort of tranquilizer arrowhead.

Everyone gathered near the entrance to the building. “Is everyone ready?” Sixer whispered. There was a pause, then a nod from everyone.“Okay, here we go!” 

Sixer kicked in the door, gun raised. He shot twice, knocking out two people who were dressed in button ups and slacks. They were SQUIPed, most likely, so Michael was glad but it also made his stomach churn as he watched them drop.

The group rushed in, with Arrow, Sixer, and Jinx letting off shots and bursts of magic, incapacitating everyone within range in seconds. Only when Arrow waved them in did Michael walk in, Net and Scout in tow. They all stayed close to each other as they scouted around. Nope, no one was within eyesight.

“Okay, set up a perimeter.” Sixer nodded as he started to reload his gun. “Scout, Net, stay in the middle of us. Jinx, bring up the back. Don’t let anyone sneak up on us—” Sixer’s instructions were interrupted by a wave of people dressed in what looked like SWAT team body armour storm in from three different doors. “Damnit! Okay, it’s go time people!”

Jinx was behind Michael as he showed them forward while sending magical spells back at different people. It seemed like Ghost was helping too as two waves of magic hit the SQUIPed individuals, knocking them down.

Somehow, they seemed to be holding off the guards, but their luck couldn’t last forever. For every guard that went down, two more came rushing into the room. Within seconds, Michael was grabbed, along with Scout, Net, and Jinx.

“Sixer!” Arrow called as he was slowly starting to get overwhelmed. He tried to use his bow to push people back, but he ended up getting grabbed as well.

Michael had an arm around his throat, keeping him from struggling as he tried to keep himself breathing. He couldn’t help but worry about the others as he glanced between them, especially Scout as she seemed to be trying to keep her panic at bay.

Sixer turned, his eyes going wide with panic as he saw everyone being dragged backwards. “No!” He cried before he stumbled over, half falling to the side. He vanished from view just as Michael saw him drop to one knee.

Michael managed to focus on his hands, twisting and turning them back as he remembered that oh shit, he could do magic. He focused as hard as he could as he made sure his palms faced the guard holding him. “Stuptefy!”

The guard collapsed in an instant, but Michael wasn’t out of the woods yet. More guards were advancing on him and they would reach him any second.

Or they would have if they weren’t suddenly distracted by the loud crack of lightning that seemed to come from the other side of the room. Michael looked over, just as shocked as the guards as he saw what could only be described as a mini tornado spinning around the room and knocking down a number of the guards as it did so.

Wait, did Sixer put on the mask? Michael’s eyes widened as he stared at shock at the mini tornado before quickly gathering himself. He turned to the guards who still held Jinx, Net and Scout before taking out the wand he had. “Stuptefy! Stuptefy! Stuptefy!” They dropped and the others managed to scramble to their feet.

“What the heck is happening?!” Net cried, rushing over. He had to yell as the storm raged on, but then it suddenly cut out and a loud, familiar, chaotic laugh rang through the building.

“Oh it’s good to be back, baby!” Before Michael could say a word, a figure dressed in a rainbow kitty shirt and a blue cardigan shot through the crowd of guards and took Michael’s hand. “My dear friend, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance at my fullest potential.”

Michael stared at the figure in awe, seemingly unable to take his eyes off of him. “Sixer?”

“Indeed! But I prefer Remy in this form.” Remy grinned. It was a little unnerving, seeing the green face which was somewhat sharper than Jeremy’s features, but not necessarily bad. “Now. Let’s do some damage control.” Remy pulled a large bowling ball out of nowhere and started windmilling it around. With a graceful flick of his wrist, he sent the ball rolling along the ground and into the incoming guards, knocking them over. “Strike!”

With Remy looking away, Michael was able to focus. He pointed his wand at the guards who had Arrow and sent a Stuptefy spell their way. Arrow quickly rolled towards them once the guards let go of him, sprinting over with his bow at the ready.

“Is that Sixer?” Arrow panted, managing to shoot another guard as he ran. Remy didn’t reply. Instead he just twisted himself around… and around and around and around before letting himself go. He went bouncing around the room, legs spinning behind him like a propeller, taking out dozens of guards with every hit.

“He says he’s Remy,” Scout said as Net was fretting over her. “I... This really is The Mask in real life now.”

“Yep!” Jinx nodded, shooting some blasts at nearby guards. “And god, being even close to that much power is addictive. No wonder Sixer was struggling with it.” Michael couldn’t help but agree, nor could he help the massive grin that came to his face when he saw Remy pull out a massive baseball bat and swipe at the guards who had just gotten into the room, sending them flying.

“Should someone stay here with him?” Arrow asked as he shot a few guards that got just a bit close. “We need to keep going and he’s handling them well.”

“No need!” Remy landed neatly next to Michael with a massive grin on his face. “I’ll be sticking with you guys. After all, can’t abandon my best fwiends!”

Michael and a few others jumped when he landed. Arrow glanced around and saw there were no guards left. “Okay, let’s hurry along then.” He started heading further in, waving for the others to follow.

“Yup, but first—” Remy reached up and carefully pulled off the mask, leaving Sixer holding it after a flash. He looked stunned, eyes wide and confused, but unharmed and still full of energy.

Michael looked at Sixer with soft eyes as he gently took his free hand. “I think he came to an understanding with you,” he said with a soft smile.

“I think I came to an understanding with myself.” Sixer nodded, staring at the mask in wonder before tucking it away. “That was all me.” He smiled. It was shaky but real.

Oh good. Michael’s smile widened as he squeezed Sixer’s hand. “Good. I’m glad. I’m really proud of you.”

“I really don’t wanna be a jerk because this is an important moment, but we need to keep moving,” Arrow said from a few feet ahead.

“Right, right.” Sixer stood up straight and pushed his now messy hair back. “Okay, let’s go find Host.” He strode forward, radiating more confidence than Michael had seen even from him.

Michael felt his cheeks start to hurt as he followed along, still holding Sixer’s hand for now. When he glanced back, he could see how happy everyone else was as they followed them and Arrow.

They could do this. They _were_ doing this. Soon, they’d have everyone back safe and on their way home to their own worlds and Michael could finally sit down with Jeremy and talk. Michael could almost laugh. Now they finally stood a chance.


	15. Some Good and Not-So-Good Reunions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Lovelies! So... I'm sorry. This chapter has quite a bit of cuteness and joy, because reunions! But then... Well it hurts and it... yeah. Sorry. Still, I hope you enjoy!
> 
> And now a word from my favourite person ❤️
> 
> Hey guys, Ari here!  
> So there will be reunions here. Both good and bad. Some fan favorites and some fan hateds.   
> Be careful and enjoy!

After heading down another floor and taking down any guards with tranquilizers, Michael had to keep himself from getting excited. Where was Jeremy? Where were the Others? This wasn’t going to be easy and it was starting to seem like it would be. Something has to go wrong.

The floor below was also deserted, in a sense. It was a tube room, but it was alarmingly empty. There were a few still floating in the goo, but almost all the tubes were empty.

“Shit,” Sixer muttered. “Net, get the remaining ones out. Everyone, grab some towels. Find out who’s left and can help.”

Net and Scout hurried to the console as Michael hurried to where he saw the towel rack. It was left open and there were still a few fluffy towels left. Arrow and Jinx grabbed a towel each.

Sixer started darting between consoles, opening up profiles on each of the Tubes and starting the draining process on all of them. Net must have shown him how to do it.

He stopped when he reached the one in the far corner. Instead of draining it immediately, he rushed back to the towels and grabbed one, heading back over as soon as he had one.

Michael was confused until he saw the face of who was there. It was a Michael, like him. He stayed at Sixer’s side for a moment and asked, “Do you want to see him alone?”

Sizer hesitated as he started draining the goo. “Would that be okay?” he asked softly, his tone and expression gentler than Michael had ever seen. There was a level of vulnerability there that even being confronted the mask hadn’t brought out in the former hitman.

“I wouldn’t be offering it if I wasn’t okay with it,” Michael gently reminded him as he gave Sixer a smile.

Sizer shot Michael a grateful smile in return before turning back to the console. Sixer’s Michael slid out onto the ground and Sixer was kneeling next to him, scooping him carefully into his arms and starting to clean him off.

It took a second for his Michael to groan, then he blinked a few times. He looked blearily up at Sixer before clearing his throat. “Remy?”

“Hey, Mikey.” Sixer smiled, tearing up as he wiped the goo off his Michael’s face. “It’s me. I’ve got you. Oh, I’ve missed you so much, Michael.”

His Michael leaned into his touch as his brows furrowed. “Missed me? What’s been happening?”

“It’s a long story, and I’ll explain everything in a minute. Let me just clean you up first.” Sixer hummed, wiping off the last of the goo from his Michael’s clothes. “You remember how Karl could talk to some magical, inter-dimensional narrators? It’s something to do with that.”

“Oh. _Oh_. Okay.” His Michael looked at Michael then (god, this was hurting his head) and stared at him. He didn’t seem freaked by this. “A kid me?”

“I’m a teenager, thank you very much, almost an adult.”

“He’s a kid.” Sixer snickered. “Seventeen and clueless about pretty much everything when I met him. But he’s grown up a lot since I met him.”

Michael gave Sixer a purposefully playful pout. “I’m almost an adult and _not_ clueless.” That got a weak laugh from Sixer’s Michael.

“Not anymore.” Sixer smiled at him before turning back to the Michael in his arms. “Can we call you Karl for now? To make differentiating everyone easier.” He chuckled. “I’ve been stuck around a bunch of mes.”

“Uh, sure,” Karl said as he stretched his arms above his head. “That must’ve been trippy.”

“You have no idea.” Sixer shook his head and kissed Karl’s forehead. “Oh, I’ve missed you, sweetheart. More than I could ever say.”

Karl smiled fondly up at Sixer and shifted to hold onto him as best he could. “Even if I wasn’t conscious or aware, I missed you too. I always miss you when you aren’t around.” Oh god, Michael wanted to gag, but this was also him in a way.

“Cutie,” Sixer cooed, rubbing their noses together. “Now, we have some ass to kick. Turns out SQUIPs are multiversal and they’re all assholes. Think you’re up for the challenge?”

Karl nodded as he slowly got up with Sixer’s help. “I dunno how much of a help I’ll be, but I’ll try. I’m so ready to kick SQUIP ass.”

“Well, maybe this can help us both.” Sixer pulled the Mask out from his pocket. “Think we can let _Karl_ out for a spin? And maybe Remy can join for a bit too.”

Karl stared at it with wide eyes before looking back at Sixer. “What— How— Is it safe?” As he asked, Michael noticed Karl stuff his hands into his jacket pockets.

“Yes.” Sixer nodded excitedly. “We earned its respect. It’s totally safe, so long as you trust yourself. You’re stronger than the urge, sweetheart. We gave it up willingly. So we’re strong enough to have it.”

There was a moment before Karl slowly held onto it, as Sixer put it into his hands. He glanced up at Michael apologetically. “Well, I’m sorry for however I act when I _really_ become Karl.” He glanced back to Sixer. “Now, or...?”

“Not yet. Save it for when we go to kick SQUIP ass.” Sixer pecked Karl’s lips. “And when you do, make sure to get me a copy, like I did for you.”

Karl nodded before pocketing it into seemingly a pocket dimension. “I will.”

“I know I should be loving this, but I’m conflicted on whether to gag or groan,” Michael said, hoping to pull Sixer out of his trance, no matter how cute this all was.

“You’ll be worse when you and your Jeremy sort things out.” Sixer huffed, shooting Michael the finger. Michael did his best to ignore the implications of that comment for now. “I’ve been worried sick, let me indulge. The others all are as well.” He nodded toward the rest of the group, now containing about twenty people. If someone had a partner, they were clinging or otherwise wrapped up together.

Michael stared at the large crowd they had somehow amassed. Holy shit. “I... Wow. That’s a lot. I thought they were keeping people spread out to ward off suspicion.”

“This is the main base. Most of the power here could be generated on site,” Sixer explained while nuzzling against Karl. It was actually adorable to see how soft and snuggly this hardened version of Jeremy could be. “Now, guess I’d better get back to being a leader, huh?”

“Go be a leader and let me follow you,” Karl cooed. Michael had to do the obligatory gag at that. They both shot him the finger for that as they stood up properly, still grinning at each other. The heart eyes were strong with this pair for sure. Michael couldn’t help but giggle.

Once he was sure Karl was stable, Sixer turned and walked towards the group. “Okay, people, listen up! Downstairs is a SQUIP—” There was a chorus of ‘boo’s from the crowd. Sixer waved them quiet. “Downstairs is a SQUIP who is controlling a Michael. Our job is to kick its ass out of him and free the rest of us from its control. Anyone who can fight, meet me over here. Anyone who can’t, or is unable to, I want you keeping watch on the stairs. The moment anyone comes up or down, I want to know about it.”

“Who put you in charge?” A Jeremy called from the crowd. Sixer didn’t flinch, he just pulled out his gun and shot it at the wall. The loud noise was enough to make everyone flinch.

“That’s who. Now, do you want to make it back to your world or not? If you do, you’ll listen. I’m your best chance.”

Everyone verbally acknowledged what Sixer said. The groups split, and there were some others besides Michaels and Jeremys. There was a Chloe, a Jake, a Rich, and a Christine as well, though the Jeremys and Michaels has their own distinct styles to be easily told apart. “Why’d you do that?” Michael asked as the groups started to solidify.

“I don’t like taking orders. None of them do. But a show of force is usually enough to placate me into listening, at least to start,” Sixer explained, tucking away his gun. “After that, they’ll listen to reason, but most Jeremys are stubborn unless they get their guards lowered.”

Michael stared in slight shock while Karl nodded. “I know I’d listen to Remy—sorry, Sixer, and you would too. I feel like that’s universal for Michaels.”

“Michaels tend to be the voice of reason of the pairs.” Sixer chuckled. “It’s the Jeremys you need to beat some sense into. Now c’mon. Let’s go see the ones who can fight first.” He started to walk towards that group, a proud looking Karl in tow.

After taking a second, Michael nodded and followed. He detoured though and checked on Net, who was looking conflicted and standing with Scout. “How are you guys doing?”

“I’m alright,” Scout answered. “Net is keeping me calm.”

“It’s great to see everyone getting reunited.” Net nodded with a shaky smile. Michael could tell exactly what was upsetting him, though. He could hear the unspoken ‘but’.

Michael carefully held onto and rubbed Net’s shoulder. “You’re gonna get reunited too, dude.”

“I know. It’s just hard... it hurts.” Net sighed, leaning into Michael’s touch. “And I can feel him downstairs. He’s expecting us. He’s ready.”

“No one would blame you for whatever you choose to do,” Michael told him.

“I’m gonna fight him as best I can,” Net stubbornly replied. “He— _They_ took everything about my relationship with my Michael and ruined it. They hurt so many people. And they hurt me.” Net rubbed his side almost unthinkingly. “I won’t stand with them willingly again.”

Scout gave Net a hug. “I can stay up here so you can focus on fighting,” she offered. “This is important for you. I’m not gonna stop you or hold you back.”

“You should stay with the other group,” Net agreed, hugging Scout back. “Not because I’m worried about losing focus, but because I’m worried about you. I can keep your heart steady, but if I slip I could hurt you by accident.”

Scout reluctantly pulled back and gave Net a soft smile. “You’re gonna get him.”

“You take care of everyone up here, yeah?” Net asked, leaning up to kiss her cheek.

She laughed, almost wetly, before kissing his cheek back. “I will, I will.”

“Trés bien, mon amie.” Net giggled, booping her nose gently. “Now go over there. Go put those Girl Scout skills to work and see who needs help. I’m gonna go back up Sixer.”

Scout snorted. “I doubt it’ll do much, but I’ll try.” She looked at Michael and gave him a hug. “Stay safe. You got a big battle too.”

Michael tensed and relaxed in a short span of time that it gave him whiplash. He hugged Scout back before playfully ruffling her hair. “I will. You stay safe here.”

She nodded before walking over to the other group where Jinx was talking to everyone.

“Ready, Mikey?” Net asked, looking up at Michael. He held out his hand hopefully.

Michael nodded and took his hand. They still had hurdles to jump besides just this fight. “Ready.”

Net beamed at him and they walked over to the group where Sixer was. There seemed to be about seven other people there counting Karl and Sixer, including a Jeremy with pitch black, feathered wings, a Michael who seemed much more buff than Michael himself did, a Jeremy who seemed somehow more... in control and regal than normal and a few others.

“—we get the Red in their systems, it’ll shut them down,” Sixer finished with a nod. “We can get everyone back, but it’ll be hard and we’ll be pushed to our limits. But it can be done and it will. Because in every universe, we have beaten these things back. Now it’s time to help out the ones who need it and to make sure the SQUIPs are gone for good.”

Everyone present cheered as Michael took the group in. He noticed Arrow standing to the back with Jinx, staying with Scout and the others. Arrow caught his eye and gave him a thumbs up and a proud smile. Michael’s eyes softened and he gave it back to Arrow as the cheers died down.

Sixer grinned at everyone. “Now stretch up people and grab a bottle of Red from Arrow. We’re going down in five.”

Again, cheers erupted as the Others turned and started gathering their supplies (well, supply) from Arrow. They could do this. They had to.

  
  


Soon enough, everyone was ready. The groups had split and now the battle ready team was heading down the the final boss room. Time to face down Host in their own throne room.

Karl, Net, Sixer and Michael were all staying close together. Even if they were working with the whole group, Michael didn’t want to break up their little team too (Karl was a new addition but it was clear he wasn’t leaving Sixer’s side for anything, which Michael didn’t blame either of them for).

“So you can actually use that wand?” Karl asked Michael in a hushed whisper.

Michael looked down at the wand he had sheepishly. “Yeah, but it’s not mine. I need to make sure to return it before the portals close.”

Karl nodded understandingly. “Yeah. This is crazy, honestly, and I’ve been Karl. Well, the real Karl. You’ll understand when you see me like that.”

Sixer hummed in agreement. “Yes, Karl is crazy, but you still managed to woo me somehow.” He chuckled. “Now get ready.”

Michael glanced at Net, still holding his hand. “You as ready as you can be?”

Net nodded as Karl and Sixer began to whisper to each other. “Yeah. It’s a lot, but I know we can beat him. And I know that when it comes to it, you’ll be able to save your Jeremy.” He smiled softly up at Michael. “You’re so strong. Stronger than you give yourself credit for.”

“You are too. You’ve gone through so much, physically, mentally, and just in your whole being. You’re going to go through a lot, but you’re going to come out on top with your Michael, you know,” Michael softly insisted with the brightest smile he could muster as his heart was beating too fast for his own liking. His hands were probably a little slick with nervous sweats too.

“Want me to help you calm down?” Net offered softly. “I’ve gotten pretty good at it over the past few days.”

Michael shook his head. “I need the adrenaline, but thank you.”

“Got it,” Net said as reached the bottom of the stairwell. “Here we go.”

“In on my mark!” Sixer called back as they came to a stop. “Ready?” The mood tensed up as everyone got quiet and nodded in agreement as Sixer glanced back.

Sixer nodded. “Go!” He kicked open the door and stormed in, gun raised. Everyone else rushed in after him, ready for the army sure to be there.

There was no one else in the throne room besides Host. He was at the other end of the room, lounging on his seat with all the confidence in the world.

“Oh, hello everyone. How are you all doing today?” Host asked nonchalantly as he leaned back in his seat.

“Cut the bullshit, Host,” Sixer growled. “Where are they? Where is Jenna and Jeremy from this world?” He looked around, clearly assessing threats that Michael couldn’t see. “And where are your Drones? You’ve made enough of them. They’re close by.”

Host looked over everyone casually, pointing to everyone as they seemed to mouth counting them. “Huh. Okay. Just have to take one away,” they said before seeming to tug at invisible strings.

Net started shaking. “No no no no no! I won’t! You can’t— You can’t make me!” he screamed as he struggled, releasing Michael’s hand and trying to drop to the floor. “I won’t be a puppet again!” Oh god no!

Michael tried to fire a spell at Host, any spell, but the wand was flung from his hand and caught by someone waiting in the wings. He turned and saw, just as he was jerked suddenly away by a tense force, Jeremy there with the wand. His eyes were completely blue, as were Jenna’s as Jeremy handed the wand over to Hogwarts.

“You don’t have a choice here. It’s fine to play again.”

“I’m not a puppet! I’m not a puppet!” Net screamed and sobbed, collapsing and writhing on the ground. “I’m Jeremy! Not a puppet!” His words started getting caught in his throat as thick, black tears dripped down his face, staining his cheeks black. His eyes rolled upwards and color leached from his skin and clothes. “I’m not a— I’m— I’m—...” His words abruptly cut off as he was pulled to his feet by some unseen force, like a puppet pulled by strings. He was smiling a small, empty smile as the last color vanished from him, leaving him black, white and grayscale. “I’m a pretty little puppet.” He was pulled into the darkness of the ceiling without an ounce of resistance. He landed bonelessly next to Host, arms, legs, and head flopping about ever so slightly. “It’s time to play again...”


	16. The End is Nigh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Lovelies! So, that was horrifying, right? Well, get ready for pain, anguish, triumph and ultimate cheesiness! There's a lot that goes on in this chapter, including possibly a few new but familiar faces. Who knows? Enjoy!
> 
> And now, here is my Ari ❤️
> 
> Hey guys, Ari here!  
> So, this is the end, the climax! So much happens so strap in. Thank you so much for reading. I will give all my real thanks in the final chapter but... enjoy the final battle.  
> Thank you guys so much for sticking around, whether this is your first fic or your tenth or however many. Enjoy!

No one moved, too shocked and horrified by what they had just witnessed. Michael was sure his heart was breaking, seeing sweet, gentle Net hang lifelessly next to Host, that small, blank smile on his face.

“You fucking monster!” Sixer shouted. “How could you _ever_ do something like that to him?!”

Host raised an eyebrow. “Well, you just saw how I did it. You’re probably trying to ask _why_ I did it,” they corrected before waving a hand to the side. Michael, just as he was getting himself to stand again, was like a rag doll as he was suddenly tossed down to the ground. The breath was taken out of him as he tried to glance up at Host. “I did it because I needed him back, simple as that.”

“He’s not just some _toy_ for you to keep, he’s a living, breathing person,” one of the Others yelled, clearly just as outraged as Sixer. There was angry shouts of agreement

A pair of gentle hands helped Michael to his feet, and Michael was only a little surprised when he saw it was Karl.

One Jeremy stepped forward. The one with wings. “Why do you need him?” he asked, a strange look in his eyes. “He might have powers, but he’s just one person. Why do you need him so badly when you can probably do anything he could, and possibly be better at it?”

Host blinked in surprise at the comment and the Jeremy pushed on. “You’re not as in control as you think, Host. There is more Michael in you than you think. The fact you need your Jeremy is proof enough of that, even if your methods are barbaric. And I can sense you’re a demon, at least of some kind. But the fact you’re so stuck on your version of Jeremy is proof that it’s not just SQUIP in there. It’s proof that there is a Michael still in there and that he can extend himself beyond what you’ve allowed. Because loving is a weakness for demons, but you love your Jeremy.”

The look of surprise lingered and Host went to say something before stopping themself almost angrily. Then they returned to looking calm and collected. “No. He is a powerful tool that I need to keep you all in line. Like this.” They snapped their fingers then as they glanced at Net.

Net held out his hands, the blank smile still on his face, and black strings shot from his fingertips. Angel (that’s what Michael would call the Jeremy with wings for now) held up his own hand and stopped them in his tracks. The strings vanished and Angel grinned victoriously.

“I knew it.” His skin shifted, becoming pitch black with golden swirls on it, and he brought out a flaming sword. Net did the same with a black scythe.

Host looked annoyed as they glanced over to the side, to where Jeremy and Jenna were, before waving at them. Jeremy walked out way too smoothly, but Jenna was still shuffling. She looked like she was still in pain. They stopped next to Host, turned and faced the group, standing to attention and waiting for orders.

Sixer nodded to them both. “Good to see you again, Jenna. You’re a reckless fool, I hope you know, and that’s said with as much love as possible.” Jenna didn’t respond, but Michael didn’t expect her to.

“I have a choice for you all,” Host said, but they looked specifically at Sixer and Michael as they spoke. “Jenna here has some new orders. If you fight, she will try to stop you, as she doesn’t want to partake in it.” Host seemed to procure a knife out of thin air before offering it to Jenna, which she took with a shaky arm.

“So she’s become a bargaining chip.” Sixer scowled. “Let me guess, her life for our unconditional surrender?”

Jenna rested the blade next to her throat as Host leaned back in their seat. “Naturally.” Michael felt ready to get sick as he had to swallow a few times. “Now, what are you going to do?”

Sixer hummed. “Um.... no?” He shrugged, looking way too casual. “No surrender.”

Michael looked at Sixer, and he could see Karl’s faint smile behind him. He could even see Host focus on Sixer. “No surrender? Aright. Jenna, dear, if you could.”

Jenna took a breath but before she could begin pressing, another hand reached out and grabbed her.

“Um, no you don’t Jenna.” That sounded like Jeremy, but he was still standing to attention. “Now drink up!” A vial or something was pressed against Jenna’s lips and she was forced to swallow. The knife clattered noisily to the ground and Jenna screamed, collapsing into... another Jeremy’s arms. This Jeremy had a patch of white in the middle of what little fringe he had, the skin just below it notably paler. He pulled Jenna back, away from Host.

“Like I said, no surrender.” Sixer grinned. “I didn’t like the rules of the game you’re playing, Host, so I changed them. You want to bring over the Others? So can I.” The other Jeremy set Jenna near a pillar to the back, nice and safely out the way. He gave a cheery salute before he and Jenna both disappeared in a shimmer of shadows and reappeared next to Sixer. “This is Minic. He’s the link you followed in the first place, and he’s been working with Moon to come join us. And like the name implies—”

“I can be any Jeremy,” Mimic finished with a wicked grin. “Any power you can throw, I can counter. So good luck with that.”

Host narrowed their eyes but didn’t shift at all from their throne. “Well, that’s quite annoying. I swore we had grabbed you, but that’s not something we can’t remedy.” They snapped their fingers at Jeremy. “Be ruthless.”

“Yes Host.” Jeremy nodded, raising his hand and letting out a sharp whistle. A bunch of Others poured into the room from the sides, all with glowing blue eyes. The empty tubes upstairs hurt even more than before when Michael realized they had all been pulled out for this very reason.

By the time the group had assembled, Michael counted about twenty more on Host’s side than theirs. Shit.

“Well, these odds aren’t looking too good, are they, honey?” Sixer asked, pulling out his gun. “Why don’t you say we get this party started and even then up a little, hmm?”

Karl’s eyes lit up as he took out the mask. “Oh, with pleasure.” He put it on and suddenly, Michael felt himself almost wrapped up into the whirlwind that surrounded Karl.

When it stopped, he felt himself being held bridal-style in someone’s arms. “Hey there, little dude,” said the person holding him in a flamboyant yet surfer-dude accent. Michael looked up and saw what he instantly knew was the real Karl, with a fancy suit, weird but somehow amazing hair, and fancy sunglasses that somewhat hid the green face. “The lady and dude of the multiverse want to apologize for what you went through. They didn’t mean for all this to happen, but that’s what happens when you create so many universes in a short span of time based off of one musical and when you then go off to create a whole new original universe. Things get out of hand in the one you unintentionally neglect while it’s still a work-in-progress.”

Karl carefully set Michael down before another mask seemed to appear out of thin air, which he offered to Sixer. “For you, my darling dearest.”

“Thank you, sugar.” Sixer reached out to take the mask but was grabbed and dipped by Karl first. Karl kissed him passionately on the lips, which Sixer seemed to enthusiastically return before he was set upright and spun around.

By the time he stopped spinning, Remy was standing next to Karl, in all his chaotic glory. “Wow, what a kiss!” he crowed, having to wave away the heart shaped clouds that formed around his head. “I’d say it’s almost unfair odds now, but that works fine for me!”

Almost everyone except for Michael and Host stared at the couple. Michael looked at Host and saw annoyance and, for a split second, fear. It went away when Host looked at Michael and gave him such a smug yet dangerous look that it made Michael shiver. He had no clue his face could look so twisted and evil.

“Nah, it’s more than fair after everything they’ve done,” Karl pointed out. “They’ve pulled out all the unfair stops and they’re still going to lose. It’s going to be a sweet victory. Almost as sweet as you.” He cooed as hearts floated around his head, though he didn’t bat them away. “Let’s go mess them up.”

“With pleasure. Oh, and you poor babies we’re against? Nothing personal. Your boss just sucks.” Remy cackled, pulling out a giant mallet from his pocket.

“Hey Net, we’re friends, right?” Mimic called lightly touching the white patch in his hair. “You don’t mind if I borrow this, right?” He pulled his hand away, a rainbow version of Net’s dripping, black scythe forming in his hand.

Everyone got ready, sizing each other up. Michael could feel his heart thundering in his ears.

Then they rushed at each other with a loud yell, both sides clashing in the middle of the throne room.

Michael backed up, and he was swept up into the chaos of everything. He needed to get to Jeremy, but every time he tried to find him, he got turned around somehow. Whether it was trying to fight his way out of a forming battle or stopping someone else from getting hit, he was getting further and further away from Jeremy.

Everything was wrong and messed up and not how it was supposed to go. He was just a teenager. He was supposed to just be going through high school in order to get to where people would finally like him instead of hate him. He couldn't do that, not without Jeremy, but they were tied up in this insanity. He couldn't even help him, not then and not now, not if he couldn't fucking find him and would stop having a panic attack while fighting his way through so many versions of himself and his best friend!

Two hands, very unlike Jeremy’s or like his own, grabbed him and pulled him to the side. He was pulled against the wall, between two pillars by figures much shorter than Jeremy.

“Breathe, Michael,” the one with shorter hair murmured. They put their hands on Michael’s shoulders and guided him to do the same to them. “Follow my breathing. You’re no use to Jeremy if you’re panicked.” The other figure started carding their fingers through Michael’s hair in just the perfect way to help him calm down.

Michael was too shocked to really process any of this for a second. Who were these people?

"We're here to help, as an apology for what we've put you all through," the one with curly-wavy, longer hair said. They curled some of their fingers around Michael's curls in just the way that his moms used to, and it helped him to relax. He glanced back and saw that they were a little chubbier and had strikingly beautiful nail polish and lipstick, which worked well with their white skin somehow. "Just follow his breathing, okay?"

"I... Okay," Michael conceded as he shut his eyes and started trying to mimic the other's exaggerated breathing.

“There you go, Michael.” The one helping him hummed, sounding like he(?) was smiling. “Breathe. You can do this. Soon you can go home and it’ll all be okay.”

Michael just nodded and focused on matching his breathing. It slowly seemed to be working, and he was able to ground himself amidst the chaos.

The world around him grew more muffled the more he calmed down. When Michael opened his eyes, he saw a shimmery bubble had formed around them, keeping everything else out. The one with curly hair smiled, looking out before looking back at Michael.

“I think he’s okay now, Ari. Let’s point him out and go home?” the short haired one said. “We can come back and visit Jeremy later.”

"Yeah, we can," Ari(?) agreed before looking to Michael. "Like I said, Mara and I are sorry. We're helping you have a direct line to Jeremy. See him?" She directed him to look and, lo and behold, Jeremy was there, directing the Others around. Finally.

“You’ll keep a clear line of him, just get the Red in him and the fighting will stop.” Mara promised. “This will all be over soon, and you’ll all get that happily ever after you deserve.” He grinned, his dark eyes lighting up excitedly. “You can do this. You’re the hero of this story, Michael. You always have been. You just have to believe it.”

Michael looked between the two of them in disblief, but he couldn't feel like they were telling anything with the truth with the earnest looks they were giving him. "Alright. I just give him the Red and everything will end," he repeated, and both Mara and Ari nodded. "Thank you both."

“Of course, Michael.” Mara smiled. He was definitely the more talkative of the two. “It’s what you deserve.” He let go of Michael’s shoulders and stepped back, taking Ari’s free hand. “Focus on your goal and you won’t lose sight of Jeremy. That’s a promise.”

Ari nodded in agreement as she seemed to squeeze Mara's hand. "You can do this. The SQUIP always loses," she promised.

Right, the SQUIPs always lost. Michael gave both of them a smile as Ari pulled her hand back. "Okay. Thanks again." With that, and after he checked to make sure he still had his bottle of Red, Michael hurried to Jeremy, who he still had a clear line of sight to.

He did risk a quick glance backwards, though, only to find his new friends (?) were gone. He didn’t question it. Focus on his goal, focus on Jeremy.

Michael dodged and weaved out of the way of slashes, spells, and dashes from others. Somehow, he was able to duck and roll away from one slash, but he ignored it still. Jeremy was so close and didn't seem to notice him coming.

Jeremy didn’t notice him until Michael tackled him to the ground. Jeremy was stunned for a split second before he started thrashing, cursing Michael out and trying to escape, but it was no use. Even as he fought, though, Michael could see the blue in his eyes flickering. Even now, Jeremy was fighting back for Michael, and with every flicker his fight grew less and less frenzied.

"Hey dude," Michael said, ignoring the curses as he straddled him and grabbed the Red. "I have an idea that this isn't gonna be fun for you, but you'll thank me for this."

Jeremy stared at the bottle, then up at Michael. For a second, his eyes flickered again, before the eerie glow faded entirely. “Do it,” he croaked, closing his eyes and opening his mouth.

Using that brief period, Michael quickly uncapped the bottle and poured it into Jeremy's mouth. It got on his face and down his neck, though he had a feeling the stickiness on his skin and taste of the expired soda was about to be the least of his problems. Michael tossed the bottle to the side as Jeremy swallowed a mouthful of the stuff.

Jeremy opened his eyes and stared up at Michael again. “Thank you, Mikey,” he whispered before his eyes slammed shut and he started screaming. Except it wasn’t just him. Every single Other who was under Host’s control, with the exception of Net, also stood up perfectly straight and started screaming.

All of the Others on Michael's side didn't seem shocked or surprised, but instead seemed to ready themselves to catch them. Michael's eyes softened and he stood once he was sure Jeremy was okay, as he was the first to fall unconscious, before facing Net and Host.

Net was standing/hanging in front of Host, scythe brandished menacingly even as his expression remained unchanged.

“Um, you might have lost a couple of drones there, Host. Sorry ‘bout that.” Remy snickered, gently setting another Jeremy on the ground. “Hmm, I don’t know, honey, how do we deal with his nasty infection?” Suddenly Remy was in a cartoon nurse’s uniform, complete with hat, skirt and heels. He checked over a clipboard and shook his head, tutting. “It seems like it’s been in his system for well over a year now. What do you think, Dr. Karl?”

Karl, now in a very cartoonish doctor's outfit, checked over his own clipboard. "Hm. Well, Nurse Remy, I think we need to cure the other patient first. A good ol' dose of the power of friendship should work, and then said patient can help get rid of the infection for good." He quickly scribbled on the clipboard before his arm stretched over to Michael, giving him the slip with an illegible mess on it. "Here you go. Administer the dose of friendship to good ol' Net over there. We'll restrain the other patient in the meanwhile."

Host glowered and went to stand up from his throne, but he had oversized chains wrap around him and lock on the ground. "What the— Stop this!"

“It’s for your own good, dear. Now behave and let the doctor do his work.” Remy patted Host’s hand soothingly. “Go ahead, Michael. Net all yours. He won’t hurt you.” Despite how chaotic Remy was, Michael could tell he was way more grounded than Karl. They made a good pair.

Michael took a deep breath as he pocketed the note and walked to Net, his hands out. "Net, look, do you want me to go the sappy route or the serious route here?"

Net didn’t respond, he just sort of swayed where he was, staring blankly ahead.

"You're not giving me much to work with, but okay." Michael exhaled as he tried to collect all of his thoughts. "You've been through so much and have fought through so much. You've been fighting for over a year, and have been doing so with me, with Sixer, with everyone. You've used these powers you've hated having for good by helping out Scout with her heart condition, not for anything bad. You're not a puppet, and you're strong enough to break through Host's hold on you. You can help yourself and your Michael. We all believe in you!"

There was a small round of cheers, but everyone fell silent quickly after. For a second, nothing happened. Then Net lowered his scythe. His expression didn’t change, he didn’t look over, but he did move of his own volition.

“I’m… not a puppet?” he asked, his voice still soft and floaty in the creepiest way, but there was confusion there too. He was listening, this was working. After a moment more, the scythe vanished entirely. “But I am a puppet. Just a pretty little puppet to be played with.”

Michael shook his head as he stepped closer. In his peripheral vision, he saw Host's mouth gagged with a cloth handkerchief, like someone in a Scooby Doo cartoon. "No, you're not a puppet. You're Jeremy Heere. You're best friends with Michael Mell and Christine Canigula from your world. You fought a literal demon to save Michael, and you're fighting that same demon now. You're saving so many people, but I know you originally started fighting for him. You're not going to let that asshole win."

Net stood there for a heartbeat longer. Then he blinked hard and turned his head, trying to focus on Michael. “I’m… Jeremy?” Net nodded slowly. “Yes, I’m Jeremy.” He hummed before collapsing bonelessly to the ground, like a puppet with its strings cut.

Michael ran right over to Net, kneeling down beside him as he checked Net over. He carefully wiped away the black tears from Net's face as best he could, even if his own hands became a gunky mess.

The gunk seemed to shimmer, then fade entirely. Net groaned and opened his eyes. “Mikey?” he asked slowly, squinting as he tried to focus. “Did we... do it? Is everyone safe now?”

"Almost," Michael said as he helped Net to slowly sit up. "We just need you to help one more person."

“Me?” Net asked, leaning against Michael heavily. “What can I do?”

Michael directed Net to look at Host, who was busy being heckled by Karl and Remy. "You can help get your Michael back and finally beat your SQUIP. I'm already done with mine."

“I… Do you really think I can do that? Maybe Karl or Sixer should—”

"No, this is your SQUIP to beat. You have to save your Michael."

Something solidified in Net’s eyes then as he looked over to Host and nodded. “You’re right. I need to bring my Michael home.”

With help, Net stood up and slowly shuffled to Host. He sat on the edge of the throne and pushed back some of the now wild hair off of Host’s face. Ever so gently, he undid the gag and cupped Host’s cheek. “Hey, Michael,” he whispered. “You can hear me, can’t you? You’re still there. Angel was right.”

Host almost snarled at Net as they tried to pull their head back and free from Net's grip. "He is not. He's fused with me, now let me go, puppet!"

Net shifted to sit in Host’s lap, properly cupping Host’s face with both hands. “No he’s not. And I’m not a puppet,” he firmly responded. “I think you forget, SQUIP, that I went into your game for him. I pushed him out of the door when we got the chance to escape. I know what you feel like alone, and I know what he feels like alone. Neither of you are alone right now. He’s right there with you, fighting as much as ever.” He smiled softly, his gaze searching Host’s face. “Even when it would be so easy to let go, he never gave up. He’s why you kept me around, but now it’s time for you to go.” Net pressed one hand to Host’s chest. “You gave me these powers. Do you have any last words before they destroy you, SQUIP?”

"Even if you get rid of me here, there are places where I already rule over. It may be a different version of me, but there will always be a version of me that triumphs you for every one of me you defeat. You'll never truly win, even if these two damned entities ensure that every world they touch has you all winning," Host spat venomously yet proudly.

“No, you might be in charge for a while.” Net smiled softly, shaking his head. “But you forget what happened to the originals. The ones who linked us and made sure you got brought along for the ride by mistake. You _lose_. And so long as there are people who keep fighting, so long as there is love and hope, you can’t ever win. You might have a victory, but you’ll never win the war. And I know that no matter what, every version of me and every version of Michael will always end up kicking you out and destroying what control you have.” Net grinned and it was almost vicious. “Now get the fuck out of my boyfriend.” Black ink gushed out from where Net’s hand was pressed against Host.

Host let out a horrifying scream, one that was a mix of Michael's voice and another that was vaguely Keanu Reeves-like. Michael's chest tightened as he looked on, even if Host was screaming in pain and agony. Eventually, all the black ink gushed out from Host's chest and evaporated into nothingness with a high-pitched hiss, and Michael knew Host was no more. Now it was just Net's Michael.

Net smiled and started to tear up. “Hey Michael. Time to wake up.” He kissed his Michael’s forehead as he groaned. “Time to come home.”

Net's Michael slowly blinked his eyes open, looking blearily at Net. It didn't seem like he was fully present as he leaned into Net's touches. "Remy?..."

“Yeah, Mikey, it’s me.” Net laughed weakly, starting to cry. His tears didn’t leave black stains for once, slipping down his cheeks innocently. Net leaned down and pressed a gentle, lingering kiss to his Michael’s lips. “I’ve missed you, Michael.”

Net's Michael tried to trail after Net's lips but stopped as he looked confused. "Y'missed me? But... but I was a'ful."

“Wasn’t you. Like it wasn’t me who was a puppet. We’ve just been... held for a bit. Pressed pause.” He kissed his Michael’s lips again. “As soon as I knew what was happening, once Sixer snapped me out from being a puppet the first time, I realized what had happened and that I knew it wasn’t you.”

Despite what Net was saying, his Michael was tearing up. "But... but I did these things t'you. I let it happen."

“Michael Oliver Mell, you stop that right now.” Net huffed. He held out his hand to the side and his scythe formed in his grip. “If I gave you this right now, would you use it to hurt me or force me to do things? If I gave you my strings right now, would you use them to control me?” he demanded.

His Michael's eyes widened and he instantly shook his head. "No, I don't want to hurt you anymore," he almost whimpered out.

“Exactly.” Net let the scythe vanish again. “Because you are one of the most gentle people I know. You wouldn’t hurt me, and you literally put your life on the line to try and help me. None of that was you, it was SQUIP. And no one where would blame you for what happened.” He paused and glanced back at the group. “Out of everyone in the whole multiverse, we probably all understand how dangerous and bad SQUIPs can be better than anyone else.”

His Michael sniffled and hesitated, almost flinching as he shifted to try to hold onto Net's arm. Ever so gently, he asked, "Can I please hold you?"

Net nodded instantly. “Yes. Please hold me.” He was tearing up again.

As soon as Net finished talking, his Michael clung to him like a lost child and started bawling against his shoulder. He was crying out apologies and thanks whenever he could get out actual words.

Net was crying just as hard, sobbing but also murmuring declarations of love and forgiveness. He clung to his Michael like his life depended on it, but Michael had never seen him look happier.

Michael glanced over at Karl and Remy. Both of them, now dressed as they originally were, gave him thumbs ups. Karl's had a cartoon shimmer and noise to it, which Remy scoffed at before waving Michael off and to Jeremy.

Shit, Jeremy. Michael ran over, dropping down to his knees as Jeremy started to groan and stir. He carefully cradled Jeremy close in his arms, looking him over. "Jeremy?"

Jeremy’s eyes fluttered open and he focused on michael. He smiled weakly. “Hi Mikey. You… you did it.” He blinked a few times, then frowned. “I’m not drunk or hallucinating again, am I?”

That got a wet laugh out of Michael. "No, no you aren't. You're not doing either of those things." God, he wanted to kiss Jeremy's face. He... he needed to talk to Jeremy about that after everyone was home, but that wasn't something to worry about at this moment. "I've missed you, you idiot."

“I’ve missed you so much, Michael.” Jeremy reached up shakily, but hesitated. “Okay, ow, but can I hold you please?”

Michael snickered and nodded as he helped Jeremy sit up. "Do you need help moving your noodle arms around me too?"

“I’m achy, not noodley.” Jeremy pouted as he wrapped his arms around Michael and clung to him. “I’m so sorry, Michael,” he whispered, his tone going somber.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Michael assured him, cradling him closer. He even went as far to rest his head against Jeremy's again. "I'm just glad that you're back."

“Yeah, well that’s thanks to you.” Jeremy murmured with a small, weak chuckle. “You’re a hero, Mikey. You’re my hero.”

Michael hummed before muttering, “You have a poor choice in heroes. There’s a version of me that’s literally a siren, and another that is, I think, a fucking Hufflepuff. A _Hufflepuff_.”

Jeremy chuckled again. “You’re a Hufflepuff too, dude. And besides, out of everyone, there’s only one you. The others are similar, but you’re my Michael. And you’re my hero. You saved me.”

Michael made a fake gagging noise and whined when Jeremy playfully hit his arm. “Hey, you’re being cheesy and super sentimental. You do this to me when I’ve done this.”

“Yeah, well I didn’t save your fucking life those times,” Jeremy grumbled, nuzzling against Michael’s shoulder. “I almost died on like three separate occasions in the past few weeks, I’m allowed to be sentimental.”

“Wait, what? Hell no. I’m going to wrap you up in exclusively bubble wrap after this,” Michael accounted as he nuzzled against Jeremy’s noggin. “I’ll do it too. I’ll go to the UPS or FedEx store and buy rolls of the stuff.”

“Fine. But you’d better snuggle with me during that,” Jeremy said, relaxing with a small sigh. “We’d... better sort things out. Right? Figure out what to do from here with the Others?”

Michael glanced around and saw some happy reunions happening, as well as Arrow peeking his head around the corner of the stairs. “I think we can take a few minutes before we do that,” he offered before shutting his eyes. “You good with that?”

“Very much so.” Jeremy nodded. He curled against Michael and Michael was more than happy to hold him so close it felt like they might fuse together. “Did you learn any magic?”

“A little. I can bend fire a little and I can perform some spells from Harry Potter,” Michael explained as he let himself be without worry for once in months.

“I learned some too.” Jeremy hummed. “You gotta show me later. And I’ll show you too. It’ll be awesome.” Yeah, it really would be.


	17. Time to Go Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Lovelies! So, this is it huh? The bad guys are gone and everyone will be going home soon. It's gonna hurt to see them go, but it needs to happen. Besides, it also means everyone gets one last chance to talk. Bittersweet, but important and very much emotional. Enjoy!
> 
> And now, a word from my partner in crime ❤️(did you like our cameo last chapter? :3)
> 
> Hey guys, Ari here!  
> So, this is a chapter of goodbyes. Bittersweet endings are always hard, but they need to happen. Better than a depressing ending.  
> Enjoy!

A few minutes later, after everyone had managed to dry their tears at being reunited with their counterparts, Michael was feeling more hopeful than he could ever remember. The rest of the group from the house had joined them downstairs, and Michael knew he heard Jenna’s voice somewhere in the crowd. Hopefully she wouldn’t be too upset that he hadn’t come over immediately.

“Thanks, Mikey.” Jeremy smiled as Michael helped him to his feet. He didn’t let go of Michael’s hand, even when he was stable. Michael couldn’t help but grin at that.

Michael nodded as he gently led Jeremy across the large room. “Of course. Let’s go meet up with Jenna, yeah?”

“I— Sure.” Jeremy nodded. “I’m glad you made friends with her. I always felt so bad for ignoring her ‘cause she seemed really nice,” he confessed. Michael noted that the button up shirt Jeremy was wearing had somehow frayed on one sleeve and Jeremy was fiddling with the loose thread. He couldn’t put into words just how good it was to see Jeremy fiddle with things again.

“Yeah, she is really nice. I think you two’ll get along great,” Michael admitted before seeing Jenna sitting... with Chloe. They were sitting together, talking. Jenna has what seemed to be a security blanket around her as she more so seemed to be listening to Chloe talk.

“—so I get it. And I’m sorry,” Chloe concluded just as Michael got close. “You deserved better than how I treated you, and I want to try again if you’ll let me.”

Jenna nodded, then glanced at Michael as he and Jeremy stopped. “You two can sit if you want,” she invited. “That is, if you’re okay with it too, Chloe.”

Chloe blinked, then nodded slowly. “I mean, they _did_ just beat the SQUIPs, right?” She shrugged. Michael could see that under her indifferent exterior, she was actually really proud and happy for them.

Michael smiled and nodded before sitting down. He didn’t force Jeremy to come with him, but still held his hand. “Two different kinds, one from this universe and one from another.”

Jeremy sat down next to Michael and leaned against him with a small sigh. “Yeah, Michael’s a hero. He did amazingly.” He hummed proudly. “And Chloe, Jenna, I’m so sorry how it made me act. Before and after it droned me. I didn’t have much of a say in that, but I should have pushed harder.”

“I accept your apology,” Jenna said with a nod before glancing at Michael. “You were great. Sorry for making myself a pawn—“

“But it was the only way we’d find out about this place in time. I just wish you didn’t go off and scare us,” Michael finished. “I’m so sorry for what you went through, Jenna. I... Chloe and I saw it happen.” Jeremy shuddered and made a small sound that Michael couldn’t quite place.

“I knew what I was getting into, Michael. Net had warned me that might happen. Or rather, he told me what happened to him the first time around.” Jenna sighed. “Either way, it’s over now. And it’s achy, but I’ve only got bruises. They’ll fade.”

Chloe muttered something, and she looked a bit flustered when everyone looked at her. “What, do I have to repeat myself?” A pause, then she groaned. “Okay, whatever. I said that it doesn’t mean it’ll go away, not mentally. That was... horrifying, and I’m sorry you went through it regardless,” she finished as she glanced away.

Jenna paused before she slowly wrapped her arm around Chloe and hugged her gently. “Thanks Chlo,” she murmured.

There was a moment of hesitation before Chloe wrapped an arm around Jenna in turn. “Yeah, whatever. Just... I know a good therapist, family friend, who I could recommend if anyone needs it. Can get a discount, maybe,” she muttered as she still didn’t look anyone in the eye.

“Brooke was right about you,” Jeremy blurted out, then covered his mouth. His cheeks were red and he hid his face against Michael’s hoodie.

“What?” Chloe asked with a frown.

“I… I said Brooke was right. She told me that you’re one of the coolest people she knows, but you’re also secretly one of the nicest,” Jeremy muttered. “She told me how thoughtful and sweet you could be. And seems like she was right.”

Michael’s eyes softened as he glanced at Chloe, who was looking at Jeremy in awe. “Best friends know you better than yourself,” he pointed out.

“Guess that’s true,” Chloe mumbled, looking away again.

“So, what do we do now, Michael?” Jenna asked. “What’s the plan from here?”

Michael glanced at Karl and Remy, who were checking over everyone. There were a lot of them now, so they were literally checking everyone over. “Try to get the portal open and help everyone get back home, I think.”

“How can we do that? It was powered by people in the Tubes,” Jenna reminded them. “We can’t open it without them.”

“Ah, it’s the power of plot convenience that the Mask gives that allows for us to say ‘fuck it’ to that,” Karl said, suddenly beside them. Chloe yelped and Jeremy did too, but Michael and Jenna were fine. He was used to this by now. Karl had on a Sherlock Holmes getup, a bubble pipe in mouth. “Wouldn’t you agree, my dear?”

“Absolutely,” Remy chirped, appearing at Karl's side dressed in a tweet suit. “Though I think... hmm.” He hummed, thinking hard. A thought bubble appeared above his head and sort of wiggled. “You know, I think since Michael got a chance to use a few powers, should Jeremy get a go? After all, someone will need to keep it open for us, and your cheated ones aren’t addictive like the original.” The thought bubble turned into a question mark as he looked at Karl.

Karl hummed as he blew a few bubbles that appeared in the shape of him and Remy in the exact same poses. “It will disappear after we go, so we should be the last ones to leave,” he pointed out. “Besides that little caveat, I think it’s a great idea, my love.” The bubbles of them shifted and moved, to where Bubble Karl kissed Bubble Remy. The little bubble people started properly making out but they popped before anything really happened.

“I think we can swing it to last a few minutes longer.” Remy grinned. “The little guy has earned it with everything he’s been through. Plus, getting drunk to save us? 10/10 strats, my dude.” Remy gave a thumbs up and nodded his head, his gamer headset and mic that suddenly appeared bounced a little on his head too. Jeremy giggled.

Michael laughed as he raised a brow. “Is he going to also be Remy then, or will he be his own unique entity?”

“He’ll be himself, but amped up by 10.” Remy nodded excitedly. He had to grab his head to stop it bobbing. “The mask emphasises the part of yourself you want to be better. So anything you feel is repressed and want to let out, you let out. It’s great!”

Michael glanced down at Jeremy and flicked his forehead. “You ready for that?”

“I… think I can handle it,” Jeremy said slowly. “It’ll be a learning experience. Think you guys can handle me like that?”

Michael nodded, and he saw Jenna and Chloe do the same. “It’s like your big prize for beating the final boss,” Michael offered. “After everything you went through, it’s the least you deserve.”

Jeremy’s cheeks turned pink but he grinned at Michael. “Yeah well, that was you who beat them, but I’ll take the prize if you insist.” He looked up at Karl. “Ready when you are Karl. Also, I like the suit.”

Karl took his pipe out of his mouth and handed it to Jeremy. When Jeremy took it, it turned into a replica mask. “Thank you. I like to think I can pull anything off, which is true. I made sure of it.”

Jeremy took it and stood up. He shot everyone a nervous grin before taking a deep breath and nodding. “Well, here goes nothing.” He put the mask on.

Jeremy was whisked up in a tornado much like Sixer and Karl had been, the comical whirlwind rising into the air and bouncing all over the room, letting out joyful and triumphant cheers. A few people looked over, pointing and giggling as they watched.

Jeremy came to a stop right next to Remy and Karl, grinning just as widely.

“Now _this_ is party time. I see what you mean, Remy!” He laughed. Jeremy was dressed in a slick blue suit, somewhat quieter than Karl’s but just as zany. Michael spotted his cuff links were Pac-Man ghosts and that his bowtie was dotted with cherries and other fruit from the game. And, of course, his face was green. “I feel excellent!”

Michael felt the urge to let out a low, appreciative whistle rise up in him. For once, he felt any barrier he held lower as he beamed at Jeremy. “You _look_ excellent, my dude.”

“Why thank you,” Jeremy replied flirtatiously. He shot him a charming grin and all at once, Michael was certain he had heart eyes. Woah, this was intense. “Now c’mon, cutie, let’s go say our goodbyes and send everyone on their merry way.” He took Michael’s hand and pulled him to his feet, spinning him around and dropping him into a dip. Then Jeremy looked up at Chloe and Jenna, still holding Michael like that. “You too, you lovely ladies.”

“Okay. Also, about time,” Jenna said as she got up, helping Chloe to her feet. Michael felt his cheek warm as Jeremy _still_ didn’t let him go. Damnit, Jenna.

Jeremy spun Michael until he was upright, then held him close. “You down to party, Mikey?” he asked with a grin. “Because I want to boogie with you.”

Michael’s heart was beating a mile a minute as he managed to nod. “Yeah, I am,” he whispered, only loud enough for Jeremy to hear.

Jeremy’s grin grew and he wiggled his eyebrows. He rubbed their noses together and wrapped his arm around Michael’s waist. “Now, time to say our goodbyes to everyone?”

Oh, right. He was talking about that just a minute ago. “Yeah, it is.” God, Jeremy was radiating such a captivating aura.

Jeremy kept his arm wrapped around Michael’s waist as he gestured to the group of people milling about. “Lead the way. I’ll follow you anywhere.”

Michael nodded, walking past the Others he didn’t know. He gave them some dazed waves but he walked over to the group from the house.

The first one he encountered was Avatar, who had his arm wrapped around his Jeremy and was hiding his face in his hair. Avatar’s Jeremy, who was also an avatar apparently, was wearing a thin tank top and had tattoos up and over his shoulders. Michael could see the blue and red dragon heads curling down his arms.

“Hello, Michael,” Avatar said, not opening his eyes. “You did well today.” His Jeremy nodded excitedly.

“Yeah, you brought back the balance. And, might I say, you both have amazingly strong qi. Are you benders?”

Michael blinked and shook his head. “That’s not really a thing here, but your fiancé helped me learn to play with fire a little,” he explained.

“You have the potential to really bend though if you access your true potential,” Avatar assured him before pressing a kiss to his Jeremy’s head.

“You both do. Jeremy, you downloaded those bending forms when we were linked, right?” the Jeremy Avatar asked.

Jeremy nodded and squeezed Michael’s waist. “I’ll draw them up later. Got it all up here in my noggin.” He knocked his head and something seemed to rattle around in there. “I’ll make sure to show him.”

Michael chuckled before nodding. “Thanks. I hope you two have a wonderful wedding.”

“You too, one day.” Avatar grinned, half opening his eyes to look at Michael. “Stay safe you two, and Jeremy, you should try meditation. It’ll help.”

“Maybe I will. See ya!” Jeremy nodded before squeezing Michael’s waist again, signaling it was time to move.

Michael gave one last wave before he stopped in front of Siren. He was talking happily with his Jeremy, who was clinging to him. His eyes lit up as he turned and looked at Michael. “My friend, hello!”

Jeremy gave a casual salute, and Siren’s Jeremy (who really gave off a pirate vibe with the long hair and baggy, somewhat patchy clothes) saluted lazily back.

“Ahoy you two. Michael was just telling me about you.” He hummed.

“Nice to meet you too, sailor. Or at least, meet you properly. How’s dry land been treating you both?” Jeremy grinned.

“Oh, it’s not been fun. It’s a bit much. I miss our ship,” Siren lamented before resting his head against his Jeremy’s head. “I cannot wait to be back.”

“Soon, my semi-fishy friend.”

“You’re missing out, Jeremy, his tail is gorgeous,” Sailor Jeremy teased. Jeremy shrugged.

“I’ve got all the gorgeous I need right here, thanks.” He held Michael a little closer and grinned.

Michael’s face was so hot, and Siren just gave him a sweet smile in turn. “Have fun, and remember what I showed you before,” he said. “I believe the others are getting the portal open soon, so hurry.”

“Take care you two.” Jeremy waved as he led Michael off. “Where to next, Mikey?”

Michael tried to think as he looked around. “Uh... Moon?”

“Sounds like a plan.” Jeremy steered Michael through the crowd towards the back of the room where Moon was curled up on the ground with his Michael. The silver stars on his Michael’s skin were almost luminescent. Honestly, Michael was almost a little jealous.

“Michael, Jeremy, hi!” Moon called, waving them over. He was beaming proudly. “You were amazing! Ten thousand years and I’ve never seen something quite like that.”

“You look great for your age, dude,” Jeremy said with a hum, seemingly pacified by the presence of Moon. They shared a look, almost something of understanding, before Moon focused back on Michael.

Moon’s Michael was curled up happily around Moon, eyes shut. It seemed like he was napping and basking in Moon’s presence. Michael’s eyes softened as he looked back at Moon. “How are you feeling?”

“Better now that I have him safe with me.” Moon nodded. Jeremy’s arm around Michael squeezed slightly, as if echoing the sentiment. “I’ve been worried, but we’re together again so it’s okay.”

Michael hummed softly and nodded. “I’m so glad. Thank you for everything. Hopefully there’s a way we can stay in touch?”

Moon glanced at his Michael, then back up at Michael and Jeremy. “I think I can arrange something.” He smiled softly.

“Good.” Michael’s eyes softened as he looked them over. They looked so happy. They deserved to be together.

“We gotta get going but we’ll catch you on the flip side, Buwan. Bakunawa.” Jeremy waved at them both before nodding to Michael, encouraging him to keep walking.

Michael went with Jeremy, saying goodbye to a few others. By the time they stopped by Jinx and the others, he felt like his head was spinning and his heart was aching.

“Let’s go see Net then catch up with Remy and Karl, yeah?” Jeremy asked softly. There was something intimate in the way he whispered it into Michael’s ear that gave him shivers, the good kind. “This mask isn’t gonna last too much longer, so we should enjoy it while it’s here.”

“Yeah, okay,” Michael murmured. He glanced to the side and saw Jenna talking with everyone now. Chloe was with Major, holding her hand.

Instead of letting him walk, Jeremy scooped Michael into his arms and carried him over towards the throne where Net and his Michael were still curled up together, whispering to each other and crying. Michael waited until Jeremy set him down before slowly inching closer. “Hey Net,” he softly murmured.

Net looked up at Michael and beamed, even as he started scrubbing at his eyes. “Michael. Hi.” Then he looked up at Jeremy and blinked in surprise. “They gave you one to use?”

“Yeah, but it’s temporary. Gonna enjoy it and hold the portal open for them while they go home once we send everyone else back.”

Net’s Michael stayed curled up against Net, not saying a peep as he sniffled. Michael’s eyes softened. “How are you feeling?”

“He’s… he doesn’t want to talk right now,” Net explained somewhat sheepishly. “He’s struggling with everything, but agrees that we’ll be okay. We’re gonna try again, start from the beginning.” He offered Michael a small smile. “We’re going to lunch as our first real date, just the two of us.”

“That’s great,” Michael cheered with the best smile he could. “How are you doing now, Net?”

“Much better.” Net nodded. “I’ve still got… echoes.” He shook his head. “And I’ve still got my powers, but I’ll learn to deal with those in time. I know we can heal from this and get better. Me and Michael.”

Michael nodded in agreement. “You two have been fighting this, both consciously and unconsciously, for over a year. You need time to heal. I’m happy that you two will be able to heal together.”

“Nothing could make me happier,” Net admitted. He looked up at Michael for a second before pulling away from his Michael slightly and reaching over, asking for a hug. “I’m going to miss you, Michael.”

Once he was sure it was okay, Michael moved and hugged Net. Jeremy stood back and let him do so. “I’m gonna miss you too, Net. Like I said, you’re like a little brother to me.”

“Still older,” Net laughed wetly. “Stay safe, Michael. And… take care of yourself. You and your Jeremy.”

“We will. You better do the same or I’ll find a way to come over and nag you until you do,” Michael said with a wet laugh of his own.

“Got it.” Net squeezed Michael. “Y’know, if the spot wasn’t already filled by my Michael, I’d say you’re my best friend,” he whispered. Net’s Michael made a small sound that was close to a giggle, but wasn’t quite there.

“You know, you can have multiple best friends,” Michael almost sang out as he ruffled Net’s hair.

“Let me be sentimental.” Net pouted, batting gently at Michael’s hand. “Jerk.”

“I’m not a jerk,” Michael whined with a playful pout. “We could be inter-dimensional besties!”

“Let’s do that, then.” Net managed a stronger smile. “And you can figure out a way for us to stay in contact.”

Michael pouted then. “I don’t know how to use magic... much.” God, that was surreal to admit. “If anything, that’s something Moon could figure out.”

“We’ll figure out something,” Net conceded. “Just... keep your eyes out. Hopefully we can see each other again, and under better circumstances.”

That would be nice. “Hopefully. I’m gonna be an optimist about this, actually. We _will_ see each other again.”

“Yeah.” Net nodded. He looked down and blinked in surprise when he saw Jeremy crouched nearby talking so softly to Net’s Michael. It seemed important, because Net’s Michael looked so much better than he had a moment earlier.

Michael smiled as he gently squeezed Net. “You guys’ll be alright.”

“Yeah, we will.” Net smiled and pulled back, wrapping his Michael back up in his arms. Jeremy nodded to them both.

“Thank you for taking care of him, Net.” He squeezed the Other Michael’s hand. “And you, mister, just remember what I said, yeah? You’ll be okay.”

Other Michael nodded as he squeezed Jeremy’s hand back. “I will. I promise.” He sniffled and nuzzled against Net’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

“Sure thing, Mikey,” Jeremy whispered. “After all, we ended up in the same boat. Someone has to kick your butt, cause your Jeremy loves you too much to be _too_ harsh.” He shot Net a wink.

Jeremy shot a look right back which clearly said ‘I’ll explain later.’ No, it actually said that. There was a sign behind him and everything. Michael blinked in surprise before nodding. God, this was still so weird.

“Let’s go, cutie pie, we don’t want to run out of time before we can enjoy this,” Jeremy suggested, wrapping his arm around Michael’s waist again but not pulling him away.

Even if he didn’t want to leave Net, Michael knew he had to. “Bye Net. See you soon.”

“Bye, Michael.” Net waved. He was tearing up again even as he smiled. “See you later.” Michael had to scrub at his eyes as he waved back before following Jeremy.

Jeremy scooped him into his arms once more. “I’ve got you, Michael,” he murmured. “Just hold onto me until we get to the portal room, yeah?” Michael was surprised when he felt a gentle, barely there kiss on his forehead. He did see the heart that popped up from there though, floating into the air like a little bubble.

“Yeah, okay,” Michael agreed as he wrapped his arms as best he could around Jeremy. He felt a burst of confidence as he pressed a faint, quick kiss to Jeremy’s shoulder before resting his head there.

He saw Jeremy’s face burst out in a happy blush. He was literally glowing as he carried Michael out of the room. “Thanks for that, sweetie. Got me all warm and fuzzy inside.”

“You did that to me already, so I guess I just returned the favor,” Michael murmured as he felt all fluttery inside.

“This isn’t just the mask, y’know,” Jeremy said after a second. “This is me. Just... more confident. I’m still myself, just more of how I want to be.” He squeezed Michael before setting him on his feet, still holding him close. “I didn’t realize how much I wanted this until you were gone, and now I can actually follow through on some of the urges I’ve had for ages and just never understood.” Jeremy spun Michael round again and dipped him, pressing a couple of kisses to his cheeks.

Michael was grinning like a mad lad by the time Jeremy finished kissing his cheeks. “I... I can say the same thing,” he admitted as he looked up at Jeremy. “I figured out my feelings. It was a lot, but I did it. I just didn’t wanna ruin anything we had going for us as friends in case you didn’t feel the same, but... you do.”

“Yes I do,” Jeremy agreed, standing them up but holding Michael so close it felt like they could fuse into one person. It was amazing. “Turns out this boy is very, very bi for you. What I thought was a crush on Christine was admiration, and I never really liked Brooke romantically. The SQUIP made me ignore my feelings, punishing me if I tried to argue, but as soon as I realised what I had lost, I was trying to come back and apologise.” He kissed Michael’s nose. “If you’ll take me back, I’d like to try things with you. And we can take it slow, heal together along the way.”

Michael’s eyes softened as he slowly wrapped his arms around Jeremy. “I would love that. We... have some things we still need to talk through, like the bad dependence issues, communicating better, and listening better.”

“If it means I get you back in my life, I’m more than happy to tackle all of that.” He almost seemed to melt in Michael’s arms. “Also wow, Mikey, you’re so strong.” He squeezed Michael’s biceps before half swooning. “Don’t you dare let me go. I need to enjoy this properly.”

That got a laugh out of Michael, even if it was half in surprise. “I am not strong at all. I’m a weak gamer shut-in,” he reminded Jeremy before sticking his tongue out at him.

“Not from what I’m feeling. Mmm mmm.” Jeremy hummed appreciatively. “I’m starting to think someone might have been helping buff you up a little without you noticing, because I’m feeling some muscles holding me close and I’m putty in your hands.”

Michael scoffed and gently flicked Jeremy’s forehead. “Okay, stop with the mushiness, you dork.”

Jeremy somehow made a sound like a wobbly strip of metal and he had to grab his head to stop it vibrating. “Hey! Rude!” he complained. “For that, you get this!” He blew Michael a kiss which flew off his lips and smacked right into Michael’s, making his head spin in a good way as it kissed him before it vanished.

After he got his bearings again, Michael gave Jeremy an over-exaggerated pout. “You’re the rude one here, mister.”

“I’ve done nothing wrong. Only adored you and been nice,” Jeremy grumbled, flopping bonelessly against Michael. “Let me enjoy this freedom while I still have it. I’ll be a nervous, flustered mess once the mask vanishes.”

Michael kept the pout up as he wrapped his arms around Jeremy. “You know, either way, I enjoy having you around. Whether you’re nervous or confident, you’re my best friend who I always love hanging with,” he reminded Jeremy.

Michael could feel the heat radiating off of Jeremy’s face and a quick glance down showed that yep, his whole head had turned pink. When he looked up at Michael, he had literal heart eyes and his mouth was a bit wobbly with its smile. “You sap!” he cried happily.

“I’ve always been a sap, you nerd,” Michael playfully teased as he smiled fondly down at Jeremy. “I’m also _your_ sap.”

The heart eyes got more intense and Michael could see Jeremy’s heart beating out of his chest ever so slightly. “Yeah? All mine?” he asked, wrapping his arms around Michael’s neck instead and leaning back a bit to look up at him.

Michael nodded as he wrapped his arms around Jeremy’s waist. “All yours,” he echoed, speaking only loud enough for Jeremy to hear.

“All yours,” Jeremy echoed so softly as he started playing with the short hairs at the back of Michael’s head. Michael’s head started feeling just as foggy and hazy as Jeremy’s seemed to be. For a moment, they could just indulge and lose themselves in each other. Just got a moment. They’d earned that.

Michael shut his eyes and savored this moment. They’d get more moments like this in the future, he’d make sure of it. He just wanted to enjoy this after going through hell and back, and he had a feeling Jeremy felt similarly.

“Hey, Mikey? Would it be too cheesy to give you this?” Jeremy, not pulling back even an inch, pulled out a small chain. He held it next to his chest and somehow a heart formed on it, almost leaping out his chest and onto the necklace, which he held up and offered to Michael. It was small and red and it looked like it might be a locket, he thought he could see a hinge. “I’m giving you my heart, you’ve got to make sure you take care of it.”

Michael’s eyes softened as he shifted a hand back so he could carefully take off the necklace Jeremy entrusted to him. “Okay, but you have to take this back,” he told Jeremy, making sure to carefully put it on him. He helped to tuck the chain and ring under his suit and shirt.

Jeremy hummed and helped Michael put on the necklace. It felt perfect as he settled it under his shirt, somehow warm and alive, like a second heartbeat even if it was still. “Thank you for taking care of my ring, Mikey. But... you’ll probably be getting it back one day. I’ll hold on to it until then.”

“You know, you can’t just go and say such sentimental stuff like that when I’m feeling super emotional,” Michael said, trying to hold back a whine as he sniffled.

“Too late, no take backsies,” Jeremy chirped, leaning up and kissing Michael's cheek again. “Let’s get ready. Remy and Karl are coming any second.”

Michael blinked before nodding. He was gonna have to say goodbye to Sixer too. God, he wasn’t sure how many more emotions his heart could take today.

Exactly on cue, Remy and Karl waltzed into the portal room. They were ballroom dancing to music Michael could suddenly hear, totally wrapped up in each other and clearly loving it.

They slowly but surely danced their way over to what seemed to be another console next to a platform. How had Michael not noticed it before? He blamed Jeremy for that.

Remy looked over. “Think you can handle this, Jeremy? I wanna say goodbye properly.”

Jeremy grinned and nodded. “Leave it to me, Mr. Remy sir!” He saluted.

Karl pouted but did let Remy go. “Jeremy and I will get started on opening the portal while you two say adieu to each other.”

Jeremy let go of Michael as Remy walked over.

Karl took Jeremy’s hand and kissed the back of it. Jeremy made a show of blushing. “Thanks, but he’s already got my heart.” They walked over to the console.

Remy grinned at Michael and reached up, taking off the mask. A second later, Sixer was smiling softly at Michael once more, looking so happy but also soft and sad. “Hey Michael.”

Michael felt his chest getting tight as he swallowed the lump in his throat. “Hey Sixer.”

Sixer just smiled and held his arms open. “C’mere, you nerd.”

Michael sniffled before going over and clinging to Sixer. “You’re a nerd too, y’know.”

“Yeah, I know.” Sizer held him close. “You’ve done so well, Michael. I’m so proud of you.”

“So have you, you know. Done well, I mean. It’s fucking amazing what you’ve done and overcome,” Michael told him as he rested his head against Sixer’s shoulder.

“Thank you.” Sixer squeezed him so gently. “I’m going to miss you, Michael. I promise, once we get our version of the mask from my world, I’m coming back to visit.”

Michael laughed as he nodded and squeezed Sixer back. “Yeah, I can’t just not see you ever again.”

“I won’t let that happen.” Sixer shook his head. “This isn’t goodbye forever. Just... see you later.” He pressed a kiss to Michael’s temple. “Thank you for everything. You’ve really helped me so much these past few weeks.”

Michael sniffled as he felt his heart aching. He didn’t want to let go, even if he knew he had to soon. “You’ve helped me so much too, dude.”

Sixer paused, then pulled back. He was smiling, but his eyes were full of tears. “I love you, Michael. Net might be your little brother, but you’re mine.” He ruffled Michael’s hair affectionately.

“Wh— Hey,” Michael whined as he leaned into Sixer’s ruffling. “You’re like a best friend to me. I dunno if you’re an older brother, but you mean a lot to me.”

“You take care of yourself, okay?” Sixer glanced over to Jeremy, who was chatting happily with Karl. Michael was pretty sure he saw a long string of pictures poking out of Jeremy’s pocket. “Take care of him too. He’s clueless, but he’s got a good heart. He just needs some guidance and a kick up the pants sometimes.” Sixer chuckled, scrubbing at his eyes.

“What, you giving me advice based off of yourself? I dunno how helpful that’ll be,” Michael teased as he saw Karl with a similar but ridiculously longer string of photos hanging out of his pocket.

“Well there’s a reason for that.” Sixer snickered softly. “He and I were very similar at one point. Go back to when I was sixteen, you’d think we’re the same person even.”

“Hmm, I’m not sure about that.” Michael flicked Sixer after Sixer flicked him first. “Hey, humor helps me cope, okay? Even if it’s bad humor.”

“Then get better jokes, nerd.” Sixer smiled wetly. “I’ll see you later, yeah?”

Michael nodded and slowly let go of Sixer. “I’ll see you later.”

Sixer stepped back and nodded, then went over to Karl. Jeremy came back over.

“I’m gonna be keeping the mask on until after they’re gone. I’m powering the portals. See?” Jeremy held up some jumper cables that were attached to his shoulders. Michael also noted the sweatbands, tank top and joggers he was wearing now.

That got a laugh out of Michael. “Yeah, I see that, Mr. Car Starter.” Oh god, that was lame. He cringed at his lame attempt.

Jeremy laughed. “That was _bad_ for you, Mikey.” He snickered. He held up a scorecard with ‘2/10’ written on it. “Sorry, but even my everlasting feelings for you can’t save that one.”

Michael rolled his eyes as he saw all the Others start to make their way in. “I wouldn’t want the pity points anyway.”

Jeremy glanced over then pulled out a megaphone. “Okay, everyone pair up. Find your travel buddies and get in line. Karl will direct the portal to your correct universes. Focus on where you were and you’ll get home.”

Everyone who had a buddy quickly got together and they all started to form an orderly line. The people who were the only ones going home seemed to be led to the front of the line. Jenna and Chloe helped those people get settled before moving back, to Jeremy and Michael. Both of them had red-rimmed eyes.

Jeremy went back over to the portal and started running on what could only be described as a giant hamster wheel and started running. Karl, in a flight attendant uniform, complete with a blonde wig, stepped up next to the portal platform. Jeremy started running and the portal, a glowing, swirling mess of colors, opened up.

Michael watched with the girls, letting them calm themselves down, as people slowly started to go back home. He waved to the people he saw, including Scout and Mimic, Arrow, and Jinx. His heart ached as every person he knew went through the portal, but they were all going home. They’d get to live their lives again without fear and enjoy themselves.

As much as this hurt to see, Michael was also so happy. They would be safe now. They could get their happily ever after again. And now... Michael could get that too. Jeremy certainly seemed to want to.

When he saw Net get up and give Sixer a hug, Michael made sure to sneak in a wave to Net. It was returned with a wet smile before he and his Michael walked through the portal. The two spun around and vanished through the portal.

Jeremy climbed out the wheel and patted himself down with a towel. In an instant, his exercise clothes turned back into a suit and he was perfectly put together once more. He walked over to Michael and grinned. “Hey. You okay?”

Michael nodded as he swallowed down the forming lump there. The portal slowly stopped, the swirling colors no more. It was done. “Yeah, yeah, I’m okay.”

Jeremy took his hands and squeezed. “Yeah, you are.” He nodded. “Are... will _we_ be okay?”

After looking down at their hands, Michael intertwined their fingers. “Yeah, we will be.”

Jeremy’s face shimmered and the mask vanished from existence. He blinked, then collapsed forwards against Michael. He sighed softly as he curled against Michael’s chest, barely conscious from exhaustion but warm and real and alive. Yeah. He was right. They’d be okay.


	18. Epilogue: Check-In One Year Later...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Lovelies! So! This is it! The final chapter, picking up about a year later from where we last left our boys. This is the end... for a while. I'm not sure when or if we'll be posting anymore BMC fan fiction from this point out, so we wanted to give everyone a final send off. Wrap up the remaining stories and give them the happy ending they deserved as their final hurrah.
> 
> Since this is the end, I figured I should say a few words. Firstly, though, big shout out to CutesyMarie for putting together the Gay Theory(tm) for this story, as well as all the other people who contributed to it! They had figured out about 80% of the twists just from putting it all together from our hints and clues, and reading their comments made us both smile with pride. You know you've done foreshadowing right when your audience can put things like that together!
> 
> This fandom has made such a big impact in my life, leading me not only to grow as a creator and a person, but also all the way to America and to the best and my most favourite person in my life. It's broadened my horizons and honestly, will be a big part of me for the rest of my life. Jeremy and Michael will always be my boys, and Be More Chill will always hold a special place in my heart. Thank you to everyone who read our stories, you've had a bigger impact on me than you'll ever know. You're awesome! ❤️
> 
> And now, here's a word from my Player One, Ari. 💙
> 
> Hey guys, Ari here!  
> So, this is the final chapter. This is our last fanfiction (until further notice) for Be More Chill. Wow, what a ride it has been.  
> Mara and I have had the idea for doing this for over a year? No, even longer since we've had this idea for a bit before quarantine first started. We wanted this concept of the multiverse to be our last fanfiction for BMC, and it seems to be that way. These past almost three years have been the time of my life. If not for it, I wouldn't have met Mara, been able to write a book, or so many other things.  
> Thank you to Gay Theory(TM), as it has spanned across many people, all of our readers and friends, and anyone who has been helped by or enjoyed our work. Please, again, if you want to stay up-to-date with our works, including original pieces that are available now for you to read, follow our socials for @MariWritingCo @MariWritingOfficial (on Twitter, Tumblr, and you can find us if you just Google us).  
> I love you all. Please, enjoy the last chapter of our love letter to this amazing fandom. I'm not good with goodbyes, so take this as a 'see you next time.' :' )  
> Stay safe, sane, and have a wonderful day. ❤️
> 
> Here's our Tumblr for our joint works! https://www.tumblr.com/blog/mariwritingoffical

Michael parked outside of the Heere household, nervous to be there for once. It had been so long since he’d last been nervous to come here. This was fine, they’d be fine.

He had chosen the right flowers though, yeah? Of course he had! He spent hours figuring out the best ones to get Jeremy. Michael shook his head, turned off his car, and grabbed the bouquet before heading to the front door and knocking.

Mr. Heere opened the door. Michael wasn’t surprised to see him wearing pants, he was doing that a lot more these days. The therapist he’d been seeing seemed to really help him finally start to heal. He wasn’t all better, he had years of issues to deal with that had come to a head when Jeremy’s mom left, but he was doing so much better and Michael was so happy and proud.

“Hi Michael! Come on in, Jeremy’s just finishing up getting ready.” Mr. Heere grinned, stepping aside. “Here, I’ll get you a vase for those flowers. Jeremy’ll love them.”

Michael ducked his head a little as he came in. “Thank you, Mr. Heere. I’d appreciate it.”

“How’s Gabriella?” Mr. Heere asked as he closed the door. “She’s what, three months old now? Is she still keeping everyone up?”

That got a groan from Michael. “Yes. I’m just glad I moved to the basement and she’s upstairs with my moms. It’s a bit easier for me to sleep down there,” he admitted as he pulled out his phone. After finding the picture of Gabbie he took today, he showed it to Mr. Heere. “Here’s little Miss Terror.”

Mr. Heere squealed in joy when he saw. “She’s so cute! I might have to come over and baby sit some time.” He beamed at Michael. “Think your moms would like a break for an afternoon?”

“Oh, they would, but they’d also be horrified because that means leaving Gabbie. She’s got them wrapped around her chubby finger and she doesn’t realize it yet.”

“Oh, I miss those days.” Mr. Heere smiled softly. “Still, I _am_ her godfather. I think they might bend for a few hours. Or at least, let me spend some time with her.” He chuckled before heading to the kitchen. “Be right back.”

Michael watched him go before nodding. “Okay.” He checked his phone once more before pocketing it and holding onto the bouquet with both hands.

Michael heard movement from the stairs and he saw Jeremy slowly coming down. He was wearing a nice pair of black jeans and a dark blue button up shirt with lighter blue patterns. Upon closer inspections, Michael realised it was the same Pac-Man design that he had on his suit when he had the mask.

He couldn't quite believe how much had changed in a year.The fact that Jeremy looked stunning, especially in dark blue, had not changed.

"Hi Michael." Jeremy smiled shyly, coming over and blinking in surprise when he spotted the bouquet. "Are... those for me? 'Cause that's super gay if they are."

Michael laughed before offering them with one hand. "Well, if you forgot, I _am_ super gay," he reminded Jeremy. He had spent time researching flower meanings like a dork researching it for fanfiction. Not that he had any experience in that either, totally not.

Jeremy took the bouquet with a laugh of his own. “Aww, you’re so sweet, Mikey. Thank you.” He held the flowers close and looked them over. “So, what do they mean? Because I know you were probably up late researching them.” Damnit, he was caught.

"Well, what do _you_ think they mean?" Michael asked as he stuck his hands into his jean pockets.

“Hm...” Jeremy studied the flowers. “Well, red lilies mean passion, red roses are obvious. They’re a lovely shade, by the way. So dark and velvety. Um...” He turned the bouquet. “Oh, you got red and blue salvias. Forever mine and, uh, thinking of you. And the yarrow is love. So... all together that means... ‘I love you very much, you’re always in my thoughts and you’re forever mine.’” He looked up at Michael, his eyes bright and cheeks red. “How close was I?”

Michael raised a brow as he tried to keep his cheeks from burning. "Are you sure you haven't done more research into this than I have, Jeremiah Heere?"

“I can’t help it.” Jeremy shrugged, but he was grinning. “You know my dad’s taken up gardening since he started dating Penelope and Hayden.” He paused. “Don’t tell me you got this from their shop.”

Michael grinned cheekily. "They might have helped me to make sure it was perfect, and I just came here from picking the bouquet up?"

Jeremy groaned dramatically. “Great, now they’re gonna tease me about this.” He stepped closer and kissed Michael’s cheek. “Thank you, Michael. I love it,” he whispered, his tone shifting to something very earnest and vulnerable.

"I had to make it perfect for you," Michael explained as he quickly kissed Jeremy's cheek in turn.

Before Michael could pull away, Jeremy caught his lips so softly and sweetly, leaving a lingering kiss there. He had gotten so much more confident recently and Michael was so proud (and enjoying the benefits).

“It’s perfect. And so are you,” Jeremy said with a hum as he pulled back, grinning like he knew that he just sent Michael’s head spinning. “Thank you. Let’s get it in a vase.”

Michael gave him what was sure a lovestruck grin before glancing at the kitchen. “Your dad’s getting one, I think.”

Jeremy glanced over and sure enough, he and Michael saw that Mr. Heere was bringing back a vase large enough for the very large bouquet.“I wasn’t sure we’d have one big enough, but I think this should work.” He set it on the coffee table. “Let me sort out those flowers for you, Private. You go have fun with Michael.”

“Thanks Dad.” Jeremy walked over and gave Mr. Heere a one armed hug. He kissed his cheek before handing over the flowers. “I’ll catch you later.”

“You both be good.” Mr. Heere was grinning like a fool. Michael guessed it was because Jeremy had become very openly affectionate with anyone he cared about and Mr. Heere was secretly a cuddle bug. “And Michael, I want him home by six for dinner. I don’t care if he’s coming over after for a sleepover, Saturdays are family dinner days.”

“Alright sir.” Michael gave Mr. Heere a salute before also giving him a one-armed hug. “If I don’t, I’ll drop and give you twenty... No, ten.”

“Alright, mister gamer, I’ll believe it when I see it.” Mr. Heere didn’t know that both Jeremy and Michael were pretty strong these days, having kept up their exercise routine that Avatar and his Jeremy had taught them. “Just don’t let it come to that. You’ve got hours to spare. Have some fun.”

“Thanks Dad!” Jeremy beamed. “Catch you later!”

Michael waved to Mr. Heere before leading Jeremy out. “Okay, so we’re heading to the park. We’re going to have a nice, chill picnic.”

“That sounds amazing.” Jeremy beamed, taking Michael’s hand and squeezing it. “Thank you for organizing this. I’ve been looking forward to it all week.”

“I’ve been looking forward to it too,” Michael said as he took out his keys and unlocked the car. “Gabbie’s been a little nightmare so I’ve been looking forward to getting out for a bit. Still love her but _god_.”

“Hey, you’re a big brother. She’s _supposed_ to drive you mad,” Jeremy pointed out. He blinked in surprise when Michael opened the door for him. “Thank you, Mikey.” He climbed in.

Michael leaned down and raised a brow. “I am a gentleman if nothing else,” he said, quickly kissing Jeremy’s cheek before closing the door and going to the driver’s side.

Jeremy’s cheeks were still rosy by the time Michael was ready to start driving. “So, what was Jenna’s emergency yesterday? Did she finally manage to ask out Maddie or something?” Jeremy asked with a hum, clearly trying to distract himself to calm down.

“Yes, but that wasn’t the emergency. The emergency was that she was going to spend the night and Madeline doesn’t have a compatible phone charger. I had to go bring her the spare I had,” Michael explained as he started the car.

“Ah, that makes sense.” Jeremy nodded. “Well, you’ll be pleased to hear Rich is doing well. His dad finally got checked into rehab, and he’s staying with Jake for now.”

Michael looked back as he backed out of the driveway, an arm stretched out and over the top of Jeremy’s seat. “That’s great! And how are the girls?”

“Loving the apartment Chloe’s dad’s paying for.” Jeremy grinned. “Chloe says she might crash with me next week though. Brooke and Chrissy are planning a date night.”

“Oh, good to know.” Michael backed all the way out before quickly throwing the car into drive. “She still needs to show me pics.”

“I think they’re planning on having a sleepover with us, Jenna and Maddie soon anyway,” Jeremy explained while pulling out his phone. “Chrissy wants us to come watch musicals with her, and she knows she can’t convince Jake and Rich.”

Michael snickered before nodding. “Yeah. It depends on the musical on if I’ll watch it with her or not. Also on if she has good snacks or not at the ready,” he said before putting on his blinker and taking a left.

“She’s planning on baking a bunch of cookies and stuff.” Jeremy nodded, checking his text. “Including the snickerdoodles you liked last time.” He nodded again once he found what he had been looking for.

“Good. Those things are to die for.” Michael glanced over at Jeremy when he stopped at a light. “What’cha looking for?”

“Just seeing if I was right about the snickerdoodles.” Jeremy shot him a grin. “Also checking the time. We’re due another call in about half an hour.”

Michael’s brows furrowed as the light turned green. “From who?”

“Sixer and Net. There’s a ripple coming our way and they’ll be waiting.” Jeremy giggled. “Hayden checked the charts. It’s gonna be a big one.”

“Oh, so they’re gonna be interrupting our date to talk. How kind of them,” Michael teased as he stuck his tongue out.

“It’s hardly their fault.” Jeremy snickered. “Sixer hasn’t found his mask yet. When he does, then we can tell them off for interrupting.”

“Still. I wanna tell Sixer off anyway.”

“Go for it.”

“I will, even if I’ll get shit for it.”

  
  


———

  
  


Michael and Jeremy were walking hand in hand while they looked around the park to try and find the perfect spot for their picnic. It was peaceful, and Michael was enjoying just spending time with Jeremy away from it all.

They were just walking past a fountain when Michael heard a shout. He barely had a chance to look over before Jeremy was letting go of his hand and doing some complicated movement. The stream of water, which had been rushing straight at them, was suddenly being carefully streamed to either side of them.

It was then Michael saw the kids on top of the fountain, trying to redirect the water at the bystanders. From the looks of things, they had been very successful, and were clearly stunned at the fact Michael and Jeremy weren’t sodden.

Michael stuck his tongue out playfully at the kids as he quickly took Jeremy's hand and hurried past the fountain before the kids could recover. "Nice job. How long have you been practicing redirection?"

“A while.” Jeremy beamed. “It’s a facet of streaming, so it’s pretty easy. I’ve got a lot of practice there.” He squeezed Michael’s hand, then waved around his other hand. Dew droplets from the plants nearby floated over in a careful, small stream and Jeremy fashioned it into a heart before freezing it. He offered it to Michael. “Here you go. Something to fiddle with. I’ll take the basket for a bit.”

"Oh, you're so sweet." Michael took the heart while he gave the basket over to Jeremy. It was a clumsy exchange, but they made it work. Oh, the heart felt nice and cool in his hand. So smooth too.

“Good?” Jeremy asked shyly. It made sense, he was very proud of his ability to waterbend. Probably because he was the moon in one world, and the avatar in another. Wow, he really was a water boy.

Michael gave Jeremy a nod and smiled. "More than good. It's great. Thank you."

Jeremy beamed and his cheeks turned rosy. “Great.”

After squeezing Jeremy's hand, Michael glanced around and saw a nice, shady spot, under a tree. "Over here," he said as he led Jeremy over. Once there, he carefully took the basket from Jeremy and took out the picnic blanket from the basket, shaking it out and lying it across the grass.

“Such a gentleman.” Jeremy smiled softly as he sat down. “You’re so sweet, Mikey. Thank you.”

"Only the best for you, good sir," Michael said in a faux British accent before sitting down. He took out the candles and, with a few moments of concentration, lit the wixs with his fire bending. With a proud smile, he then proceeded to unpack their lunch.

Jeremy clapped excitedly. “You’re getting really good at that, Mikey.” He grinned. “You didn’t even have to move much for it. I wonder if that’s Hogwarts rubbing off on you with the nonverbal spells,” he mused as he reached over to help.

Michael quickly waved Jeremy's hands away. "Eh! No, I'm setting up the romantic meal time. You sit back and be pretty."

Jeremy pulled his hand back to his lap, giggling and blushing harder. “M’not _that_ pretty,” he protested quietly.

"Oh shush, you're the prettiest in all of the land," Michael said as he set up Jeremy's dish first.

Jeremy’s blush darkened and he looked away, flustered. He was still so easy to make blush, and he was so cute when he did.

“Ah, you’re not arguing because I’m right,” Michael said before setting up his own dish. He made sure they each got the right can of soda before taking one of Jeremy’s hands and squeezing it. “Lunch is served.”

Jeremy looked down at their joined hands, then up to Michael. His expression was so soft and fond. Michael of a year ago never thought he’d get to see Jeremy look at him like that. How times had changed.

“Thank you, Mikey. I love it,” he murmured, leaning over and pressing a lingering kiss to Michael’s lips.

Michael reluctantly pulled back from the kiss and gave Jeremy a smile. "Thanks. I worked super hard on the subs and chips. I slaved for hours over the stovetop."

“Clearly—” Jeremy looked like he would say more, but some teasing cheering cut him off.

“Look at the babies! They’re _kissing_!” Net giggled from the little portal that had opened up near their blanket. Digit (Digital, the nickname they gave Net’s Michael) giggled along with him.

“Stop it, boys,” Sixer admonished from his own portal with a shit eating grin. “You know they’re still in the honeymoon phase. After almost four months of being official.”

“Hey, we were worse,” Karl pointed out from beside Sixer. His chin was resting on top of Sixer’s head. “Also, I can argue that we’re still in it, even now.”

“True.” Sixer hummed, sighing happily as Karl wrapped his arms around him.

Jeremy groaned and rolled his eyes dramatically. “Couldn’t you guys have held off two more minutes? We were having a moment.”

Digit raises up his hands in mock surrender. “Hey, we don’t control this stuff.”

“Still.” Jeremy grumbled before turning to face them properly. He picked up his sub. “How are you guys?”

Michael did the same as he picked up his sub and started eating. God, he missed these guys. “We’re good,” Karl said before looking down at Sixer. “Still looking for the mask. Currently, we’re following a lead in Paris.”

“You’re in France?” Jeremy asked excitedly. “Have you done anything touristy?” He took a bite of his sub. Net and Digit looked over, clearly just as interested.

“Well, we took a cutesy couple picture with the Eiffel Tower behind us,” Karl said with a shrug. “What are we planning to do next, hun?”

“We’re gonna head to the Louvre and also take a nice walk along the Seine,” Sixer said happily. “Then we’re into the catacombs where we’ve heard the mask might be.”

Michael hummed appreciatively, though he personally would’ve been too freaked to go to the catacombs. “Well I’m glad you guys are having fun. What about you, Net and Digit?”

“We’ve been doing really well. College is hard, but we’re both loving it.” Net shot Digit a wry grin. “Still nerds though. But we’re okay with that.”

“It’s been a challenge, but we’re getting there,” Net agreed. “Plus, check it out, I’ve finally got control of my powers!” He held up his hand and Michael could only watch in fascination as pastel coloured strings dropped down from Net’s fingers and picked up a doll from the table. He made it dance around a bit before dropping it. “I’m getting the hang of being the one in control properly again!”

“It’s pretty cool except when he wakes me up by having a stuffed animal hover over my face,” Digit said with a playful pout, glancing over at Net.

“Yeah, but then you get snuggles!” Net protested. Everyone laughed at that. “What? Everyone loves snuggles!”

Michael nodded. “You’re right in our case, Net.”

Net pouted, but his eyes were bright. “As soon as Sixer figures out how to get across with the mask, you bet that we’re coming over for some snuggle time. I’ve missed you, Michael.”

“I’ve missed you too, Net,” Michael admitted before taking a sip of his soda. “I’ve missed all of you guys.”

“At least we still get the ripples to see each other.” Sixer hummed, leaning back against Karl a little more. “Plus, we should have the mask soon. Then we can visit.”

“That’s not the same and you know it,” Jeremy huffed, eating some chips.

Michael gently poked Jeremy. “Hey, they’re trying at least.”

“Yeah, give us some credit,” Karl said, and the others echoed their agreement.

Jeremy stuck his tongue out at them. “No, I don’t think I will.”

“Well that’s unfortunate because I’ve already given it to them,” Michael said with a shit-eating grin. He ignored Jeremy’s cry and intercepted the shove to grab him and pull him in for a hug.

Jeremy struggled half heartedly, clearly not intending to _actually_ escape. Everyone laughed at his antics, even as he eventually relaxed into the hold. “Fine.” He pouted.

“Thank you for listening to reason,” Michael thanked before holding Jeremy close.

“Only ‘cause it’s you, Mikey,” Jeremy murmured, getting comfortable in Michael’s lap.

Michael’s eyes softened as he looked back at the others as they looked happily upon them. He couldn’t help but do the same in turn. Finally, they could all live out their happy endings, even if life inevitably threw some oddballs and curveballs at them every now and then.

Finally, they could live.


	19. BONUS!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a list of all the characters mentioned in this story and where they're from! Enjoy!

Michael: The Michael from this universe.  
  
Jeremy: The Jeremy from this universe.  
  
Jenna: The Jenna from this universe.  
  
Net and Host: The Jeremy and Michael from our story Cabinet Man, which you can read here! [Cabinet Man](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21075587)

Sixer and Karl: The Jeremy and Michael from our story The Me I'm Meant to Be, which you can read here! [The Me I'm Meant to Be](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21385912)

Moon/ Buwan: The Jeremy from our story To The Moon and Back, which you can read here! [To the Moon and Back](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20886545) _*This is, in our canon, the original Jeremy and the one who linked all the Others though the spell shown at the end of that story.*_

Siren: The Michael from our unpublished work simply titled Siren AU. In it, Michael is a siren who is part of Squip's pod and Jeremy is a sailor who washes up on an island nearby their territory. Michael saves that Jeremy and they become friends, bonding over music and learning about each other's worlds. They soon discover that Jeremy may not be everything that he appears and must deal with that revelation along with the looming threat of the human hating Squip.

Jinx: This is the Jeremy from our unpublished work called More Than A Lifetime. In it, the SQUIPs won at the play and Jeremy's SQUIP took over the world. Michael lead a resistance that was snuffed out within a few years. Over millennia, magic returned and Jeremy was reborn into that world. Michael was as well, but as pure magic. They eventually meet up and together set out to right the wrong from 3000 years ago.  
  
Major: This is the Brooke from our unpublished work called Major and Support. It took a critical look at the Omegaverse or ABO worlds and their dynamics while critiquing certain aspects without going into a sexual context. We looked at it from a semi-horror view point as the characters in this story had unknowingly been kidnapped and experimented on by an unnamed company. The story follows Jeremy, an unassuming 'Major' as he encounters a man he's been dreaming of for months in the form of the shy and quiet Michael, who is someone else's 'Support'.

*****We never intend or have any of our AUs to have any sexual content besides offhand mentions or jokes as seen in the canon as the characters are minors in the original source material*****

Scout and Mimic: The Madeline and Jeremy from our story One reason, which you can read here! [One Reason](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25599073)

Arrow: The Jake from our story Unclaimed, which you can read here! [Unclaimed](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18671824)

Techie: The Christine from our story Tenderly Guide You, which you can read here! [Tenderly Guide You](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19239847)

Hogwarts: The Michael from our story The Magic Within, which you can read here! [The Magic Within](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21736066)

Dragon: The Jeremy from our story The Dragon's Treasure, which you can read here! [The Dragon's Treasure](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19793509)

Winter: The Jeremy from our unpublished work called To Become a God. In that story, Jeremy is a priest in training who is engaged to Michael, a regular guy who is going to college and works part time. They get involved with a plot to absorb all the Gods into Squip, and must journey out to find the spells needed to overcome him. Jeremy takes on the burden of Godhood while Michael, who is mostly uninterested in religion, becomes his High Priest and first worshiper in order to one day reunite.

Avatar: This is the Michael from our unpublished work only known as Avatar AU. In this, the Avatar spirit had been shattered when Aang died one hundred years ago. Michael, a fire bender living in the earth nation, discovers Jeremy and his polar bear dog Isumi, both from the southern water tribe and on the run. Together they discover that they each hold one half of the avatar spirit and must master the elements and their spirituality in order to save the world from the evil firelord Squip.

Galactic: This is the Christine from our unpublished work known as Area 51 Raid AU. Yes, it was based off that. It started as a joke but became serious when we met in person. In it, Jeremy, Rich and Jenna run a white hat hacker company who are hired by the government to test the security on their systems. By chance, Jeremy finds a back door into the Area 51 servers and discovers about the aliens living there. After a few weeks of interacting with them digitally, he decides to rescue them and cover it up with the meme in question. The group then end up on a road trip, running for their lives.

Retro: This is the Michael from our unpublished work known as Long Distance AU. In it, Jeremy and Michael live on opposite sides of the world. Jeremy is in the UK and Michael is in America. They meet online and bond over their shared love of Apocalypse of the Damned. From there, they support each other through the hardships of growing up, bad relationships and anxiety issues until they finally get to meet just after graduating college. 

Angel: The Jeremy from our story That Demonic Child, Heere, which you can read he(e)re! [That Demonic Child, Heere](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24446611)


End file.
